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Small Farm Build 



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Small Farm Buildings 
of Concrete 



A BOOKLET OF PRAC- 
TICAL INFORMATION 
FOR THE FARMER AND 
RURAL CONTRACTOR 



PREPARED BY THE 

INFORMATION BUREAU 
UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



PUBLISHED BY THE 

UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 

CHICAGO - PITTSBURGH — MINNEAPOLIS 



First Edition 
1912 




;.)■' 

Small Farm Buildings 
of Concrete 

•ART I of this booklet is intended to 
furnish specific information on the 
construction of foundations, floors, 
walls and roofs of small concrete farm 
buildings, while Part II gives instructions and 
plans for putting up dairy buildings, ice houses, 
hog and poultry houses, root cellars and other 
similar structures of concrete. The construction 
of barns, corn cribs, granaries and silos has not 
been taken up in the present volume. "Concrete 
Silos," an 88-page booklet by the Information 
Bureau of this Company, will be sent free to those 
desiring reliable information on the subject of silo 
building. Persons seeking information on the sub- 
ject of concrete barns, corn cribs, or granaries will 
receive, free of charge, assistance in the shape of 
suggested plans and general information on re- 
quest to the Information Bureau. 



lZ-a^7% 



Copyright 1912 

by the 

Universal Portland Cement Co. 



CO. A3 276 9 9 

1M>\ 



Small Farm Buildings 
of Concrete 



Table of Contents 

PART I. 

Page 
Introductory 7 



The Choice of a Building Material ......... 8 

The Requirements of Good Farm Buildings 
How Concrete Meets Requirements 
Logical Design of Farm Buildings 
Economizing Home Materials and Spare Time 

Fire Losses and the Insurance Problem 13 

Fire Losses 

Fire Insurance and Fire Protection 

Preventing Fire Losses 

Foundations 15 

Laying out the Work 

Locating Construction Lines 

Excavations 

Forms for Foundations Below Ground 

Foundations above Ground 

Concrete Floors 23 

Drainage 

Mixing and Placing the Concrete 

The Surface Coat 

Stairways and Steps 27 

Basement Steps 

Step Forms 

Table A: Dimensions Required for Laying Out Steps 

Monolithic Walls 32 

Forms for Single Wall Monolithic Work 

Forms for Double Wall Monolithic Work 

Runways and Scaffolding 

Preparation of Forms 

Joining old Work 

Removing the Forms 

Surface Finish 

Wall Reinforcing 39 

Size and Spacing of Rods 

Corner Reinforcing 

Window and Door Openings 

Calculating the Amount of Reinforcing Rods Required 

Table B : Area and Weight of Square and Round Reinforcing Rods 

Table C: Area of Round Reinforcing Rods and Wire 

Cutting and Bending Rods 

W r alls without Reinforcing 



TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued 

Page 
Concrete Block Walls 45 

Concrete Blocks 

Concrete Sills and Lintels 

Laying Concrete Block Walls 

Table D: Number of Concrete Block Required per linear foot of wall 

Unit Column and Slab Walls 48 

Method of Construction 
Columns 
Panels or Slabs 
Tripod and Tackle 

Cement Plaster Walls 52 

Method of Construction 

Metal Lath 

Applying the Lath 

Number and Thickness of Plaster Coats 

Table E: Wall Surface Covered per Sack of Cement 

Mixtures for Mortar 

Applying the Plaster 

Pebble Dash Finish 

Precautionary Measures 



Concrete Roofs for Farm Buildings 



Types of Roofs Suitable for Farm Buildings 

Flat Slab Roofs 

Table F: Thickness of Roof Slabs in Inches 

Table G: Cement, Sand and Stone Required for Slab Roofs 

Table H: Spacing of Roof Reinforcing Rods 

Example 

Forms for Slab Roofs 

Erecting the Forms 

Gable Roofs 

Size of Beam 

Table I: Size of Ridge Beams of Gable Roofs 

Size of Slabs 

Forms for the Eaves 

Placing the Reinforcing 

Reinforcing in Gable Roofs 

Mixing and Placing the Concrete 

Finishing the Roof 

Protection against Weather 



PART II. 



Concrete Dairy Buildings 69 

Location of Dairy Buildings 
Dairy House Plans: 

Reinforced Concrete Milk House with Water Supply Tank 

Reinforced Concrete Milk House with Ice Room. 

Concrete Block Milk House with Cold Room 

Reinforced Concrete Milk House with Loading Platform 

Small Concrete Block Milk House 
Design of .Standard Milk Cooling Tank 

Concrete Ice Houses 91 

Capacity of the Farm Ice House 
Plan of a Concrete Block Ice House 



TABLE OF CONTENTS— Concluded 

Page 
Concrete Poultry Houses 96 

Location of the Poultry House 
Requirements of a Good Poultry House 
Securing Proper Light and Ventilation 
Cleanliness and Convenience 
Size of Building 
Poultry House Plans: 

Reinforced Concrete Poultry House for Several Flocks 

Concrete Block Poultry House 

Reinforced Concrete Poultry House With Incubator Cellar 

Interior Fittings for Poultry Houses 113 

Floors 
Sand Bath 
Roosts 
Nests 

Concrete Hog Houses 117 

Types of Hog Houses 
Hog House Plans: 

Small Shelter House of L^nit Construction 

Five Pen Hog House of Concrete Blocks 

Five Pen Cement Plaster Hog House 

Large Reinforced Concrete Piggery 

Interior Fittings for Hog Houses 141 

Floors 

Drainage 

Pens 

Partitions 

Fenders 

Gates 

Troughs 

Concrete Root Cellars 146 

Large Reinforced Concrete Root Cellar with Arched Roof 
Reinforced Concrete Root Cellar with Flat Slab Roof 

Concrete Machine Sheds 153 

A Modern Concrete Machine Shed 



Index to Tables 

Table Page 

A — Dimensions Required for Laying Out Steps 29 

B — Area and Weight of Square and Round Reinforcing Rods . .... 43 

C — Area of Round Reinforcing Rods and Wire 43 

D — Number of Standard Size Concrete Block per Linear Foot of Wall .... 47 

E — Wall Surface Covered per Sack of Cement for Cement Plaster Coats ... 54 

F — Thickness of Concrete Roof Slabs for Various Spans 59 

G — Cement, Sand, and Stone required for Concrete Slab Roofs 60 

H — Spacing of Reinforcing Rods in Roof Slabs ......... 61 

I — Size of Concrete Ridge Beams for Gable Roofs ........ 64 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




Figure 1. CONCRETE DAIRY BUILDINGS 

(1) Concrete Block Dairy House. 

(2) Monolithic Dairy Building with Water Supply Tank, built on the Farm of I. R. Little, 

Farmer City, Illinois. Dimensions, 12 feet square. Cost, $200. 

(3) Milk House, Engine and Pumping Room on the Farm of John Arends, West Chicago, 111. 

Dimensions, 10 feet x 20 feet. 

(4) Monolithic Milk House on the Farm of Fred Mosedale, St. Charles, Illinois 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



Small Farm Buildings of Concrete 

PART I. 



THE five log houses of Plymouth, built by the Pilgrim Fathers nearly 
three centuries ago, were probably the first substantial buildings 
constructed by the white man in America. With the advent of the 
white settlers the log cabin superseded the wigwam of the savages, and 
during the period when saw mills were scarce and timber plentiful to 
the point of being burdensome, the log building was the logical — in- 
deed the only possible kind. The sawmill followed the settler and as 
sawed lumber became more plentiful and the cost of lumber and labor 
increased, the frame building logically superseded the log building. 

Today lumber for many purposes has reached an almost prohibitive 
figure, and the rapidly diminishing supply gives no hope of future re- 
ductions in prices. 
Furthermore, in most 
sections of the United 
States the best lum- 
ber is already used 
up, and the quality 
of the future supply 
will not equal that of 
the past. Instead of 
having timber to de- 
stroy, as did the set- 
tlers of a generation 
back, the farmer of 
today finds good tim- 
ber scarce, and lum- 
ber expensive. 

Concrete is tak- 
ing the place of lum- 
ber, because, beside 
all of its other ad- 
vantages it is cheap, and in every sense of the word economical of 
home labor and materials. Under a man competent to oversee the 
work, the most unskilled farm laborer can readily be trained to mix and 
place concrete properly, while men skilled in carpentry are required to 
do the work on frame buildings. Most farmers have gravel or sand 
on the place or can obtain it at small expense, and in many instances, 
the only material which has to be bought outright is the cement. 

The last few decades have witnessed remarkable progress in the 
manner of raising animals for the market, and in dairying and the growing 
of crops as well. A few years ago, hogs were protected during the winter 
only by rude* shelters, and in the Northern States, were not marketed 
until the second year. Because of the lack of protection during cold 
weather the farrowing season was necessarily short, and the profits of 




Figure 2. Concrete Block Building on the Farm of Oliver 
Jensen, Early, Iowa, containing ice, dairy and store rooms. 
Dimensions, 16 feet by 22 feet. Cost, $225. 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



the hog raising business seriously curtailed. The situation was much 
the same in the raising of other animals. The introduction of sub- 
stantial buildings — preferably of concrete — is changing conditions to 
a remarkable extent, simplifying and lightening labor and increasing 
profits. 

The phenomenal growth of the dairy business in sections of the 
country adjacent to the great centers of population has brought with it 
a demand for better facilities for keeping milk and other dairy products 
clean and cool. To accomplish best results, the concrete milk house or 
dairy building, equipped with concrete floors and tanks, is necessary. 
Such a building is cool in summer and warm in winter, is proof against 
rats and mice, and easily kept clean. It contains no rotting wood con- 
struction to form breeding places for germs, and no crevices in which 
dirt can collect. 



The Choice of a Building Material 

Requirements of Good Farm Buildings. The most suitable 
building material is the one which meets the requirements of good farm 
buildings in the most satisfactory manner, that is, within the limits of 
allowable expense both for first cost and upkeep. One of the Cornell 
University bulletins, in discussing the requirements of good farm build- 
ings, enumerates the latter as follows: 

1. To keep animals and other objects dry. 

2. To maintain a proper temperature. 

3. To secure pure air, with a proper degree of humidity. 

4. To secure light. 

5. To secure cleanliness. 

6. To prevent the breeding of vermin (rats, mice, insects.) 




Figure 3. A Group of Concrete Buildings, Knollwood Farm, East Norwich, Long Island, New York. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



7. To preserve the manure. 

8. To secure health, comfort of the animals, freedom from injury, 
and to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. 

9. To secure economy in feeding and watering. 

10. To secure economy of space. 

11. To secure economy of labor. 

12. To secure economy of construction. 

13. To secure strength and durability. 

14. To secure good appearance. 

In addition to the points mentioned in the Cornell Bulletin, the 
matter of protection against fire is certainly of greatest importance to 
the farmer and will be discussed at length under the heading "Fire 
Losses and the Insurance Problem." (Page 13.) 

The first requisite is that the building keep out rain and dampness. 
Animals must be kept dry if they are to be kept warm, and keeping 
them comfortably warm means the saving of a considerable portion 
of their energy. Crops and all kinds of farm products, as well as imple- 
ments and tools, building materials and other articles, cannot be stored 
in damp or wet places without injury. The second requisite, that of 
proper temperature is of importance where there are young animals to 
be taken care of, dairy products to be kept cool, or ice to be preserved. 

Pure air is essential to all animal life, and absolutely necessary where 
dairy products are concerned. Unrestricted sunlight is the greatest 
enemy of bacterial life, and wherever animals are kept, an abundance 
of light practically insures freedom from disease. Cleanliness has been 
placed next to godliness. It is the one paramount requirement where 
articles of human food are concerned. There is no excuse for the dirty, 
wooden dairy, or the disease-laden and rat-infected buildings often used 
to shelter poultry and animals. 




Figure 4. Farm Office Building of Reinforced Monolithic Construction. Morgan Farm, Beloit, 
Wisconsin. An office building is a great convenience on the modern large farm. Even the roof 
of this structure is of concrete. 



10 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




Figure 5. WINTER HOG HOUSE SCENES 

(1) Hog House of N. Hampe, Rock Rapids, Iowa. Dimensions, 24 feet by 42 feet. Cost, $450. Built 

of Anchor block. 

(2) Charles Klein's Hog House, Rock Rapids, Iowa. Dimensions, 20 feet by 40 feet. Cost, $450. Built 

of Anchor block. 

(3) E. F. Hershey's Hog House, Early, Iowa. Dimensions, 20 feet by 40 feet. Cost, $350. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



11 



Economy in feeding and watering is of great importance and in- 
cludes not only the saving of feed and water, but also the saving of the 
labor of feeding, as well. Economy of space often involves a saving in 
the expense of the building and in the convenience of using it. Econ- 
omy of labor means the lifting of irksome farm burdens, and conse- 
quently the shortening of working hours and a larger amount of time 
for educational and recreative pursuits. While economy of construc- 
tion is desirable in that it keeps down the first cost of a building, strength 
and durability are desirable in that they insure permanence and low 
expense for upkeep. Good appearance is by no means a minor consider- 
ation, especially where it can be obtained without additional expense. 
The days of beautiful landscapes defiled by unsightly structures should 
be past. Beautiful buildings give the farm an air of home which can- 
not be obtained by any other means. 

How Concrete Meets Requirements. No material meets all of 
the requirements mentioned in the preceding paragraphs so well as does 
concrete. Good con- 
crete is water-tight, 
and a good concrete 
farm building with a 
concrete roof is dry, 
clean, durable and can 
be made pleasing in 
appearance, without 
additional expense. 
The concrete floor 
makes the feeding of 
animals or poultry 
easy and economical, 
and the concrete walls 
leave no place for ro- 
dents or vermin. The 
walls are light in col or, 
reflecting light into 
all parts. Concrete 
construction leaves 
no small corners, crev- 
ices, or pockets for 
dirt to collect. 

Logical Design 
of Farm Buildings. 

P^t4iq™c nr>v rvf tV»f» Figure 6. Monolithic Pump House, Jelke Dairy Farm, Dundee, 
jreilldps UJic ui Liie Illinois. One of several concrete structures on the Jelke Farm. 

greatest hindrances to 

progress in the design of farm buildings at the present time is the 
tendency toward blindly following the design of other buildings in 
the neighborhood, perpetuating faults and continuing incorrect prac- 
tice, often with much waste. The crying need at the present time is 
for logical design. Each building should carefully be planned for the 
service required of it, considering local conditions but discarding 
local peculiarities of design, which are often false guides. Additional 
effort expended to make plans meet, in the best possible manner, the 




12 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



particular needs in each individual case, is always repaid in the long run 
in convenience and lower cost of maintenance. 

In designing structures to be built of concrete it is often economical 
to depart from the approved designs for frame structures. This is par- 
ticularly true in the design of the roof. Concrete roofs may be built 
quite flat, a pitch of J-inch to the foot being sufficient to run the water 
off. The windows of buildings with solid concrete or cement plaster 
walls may be put in without sills and lintels. Chimneys and flues may 
be built up within single or double monolithic or concrete block walls. 

Economizing Home Materials and Spare Time. It very fre- 
quently happens that a farmer or rural contractor has available at small 
expense, all of the ingredients of good concrete excepting the cement. In 
such cases, concrete is certainly the logical material to use in all con- 
struction work, because it economizes to the greatest possible degree home 
resources, employing valuable materials which cannot be used to so great 
an advantage in any other way. 

One of the big problems of farm management is the planning and 
arranging of work so as to keep the help busy at all times. In spite of 
the most careful planning, and the most systematic methods of doing 
farm work, uncertainties of weather and other conditions beyond con- 
trol make it practically impossible to avoid a considerable loss of time. 
Such periods may often be used conveniently for doing jobs of concret- 
ing. If the weather is too disagreeable for outside work, the time may 
be spent in preparing the form lumber and arranging details of the work, 
or in making concrete blocks, sills, posts, slabs or other work indoors. 




Figure 7. Stallion Barn on Col. G. Watson French's Iowana Farm near Davenport, Iowa, 
ture with pleasing lines and convenient interior arrangement. 



A struc- 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



13 



Fire Losses and the Insurance Problem 

Fire Losses. The great majority of farm building losses are from a 
single source — fire. On American farms alone this terrible agency destroys 
one-third the value of all farm buildings each year, and these figures do 
not include the enormous additional losses in time, inconvenience and 
property, which follow conflagrations as direct or indirect results but 
yet are not represented in insurance statistics. Insurance experts de- 
clare that an average of 500 buildings are destroyed by fire every day 
in the United States alone, making an average of one building every 
three minutes, day and night. The money value of this enormous waste 
has been placed at $300,000,000, annually, and an additional $150,000,- 
00,0 is spent every year for the maintenance of fire departments, high 
pressure water systems, and other means of protection against fire. A 
very small percentage of this latter sum is used however in the protec- 
tion of farm property. 

Ordinary frame 
farm buildings, far 
removed from fire pro- 
tection of any kind, 
generally meet total 
destruction when at- 
tacked by the flames. 
This fact has been 
generally recognized, 
and as a result, there 
has been a big demand 
for fire insurance, 
which might be more 
properly known as fire 
indemnity. The com- 
paratively high insur- 
ance rate which 

farmers are now paying, is based upon the experience that the salvage 
from fire-swept frame farm buildings is generally small. 

Fire Insurance and Fire Protection. It is obvious that fire in- 
surance and fire protection are two entirely different things. The first 
merely pays the value of the property loss by flames, the other prevents the 
flames. Fire insurance pays the owner what the burnt portion of his 
building was worth, but very rarely the sum total of what the fire cost 
him. It cannot repay the owner for the inconvenience which he and 
his family may suffer, neither will it reimburse him for the loss of pre- 
cious time during a busy season, the possible loss or enforced sale of 
stock, the interruption of business, nor the loss of articles of value as 
keepsakes. Real fire protection is only possible through fire prevention. 
It does all that fire insurance cannot do — by preventing the injury, rather 
than by attempting to make amends after it has occurred. 

Preventing Fire Losses. Where fires cannot be prevented, fire insur- 
ance is desirable; but given an opportunity to choose between fire insur- 




Figure 8. Ruins of Dairy Barn and^ Silo, Crabtree Dairy Farm, 
Lake Bluff, Illinois, after a fire, November 3, 1910. 



14 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



ance and fire prevention, the arguments are obviously in favor of the lat- 
ter. It is equally obvious that the only time to prevent fire is before 
it appears and it is apparent that the logical method of preventing fire 
is by building of fireproof construction. Fire fighting apparatus is only 
effective if used at the critical moment — when the fire starts. The 
chances of reaching a fire at the critical moment, however, are small. 
On the other hand, the fireproof building is constantly protected, even 
though the owner be away from home. 

Concrete farm construction is fireproof. In the days when con- 
crete buildings were more expensive, the excuse for not building them 
was because of their cost. Today, no such argument is possible, for 
the cost of concrete farm buildings does not greatly exceed the cost of 
wood in any locality, and in many places it is as cheap as wood; when 
freedom from insurance premiums and future repair bills is considered, 

n concrete is actually 
cheaper than wood. 
These statements are 
particularly true when 
home labor and ma- 
terials are available. 

If the buildings are 
of fireproof concrete 
construction they 
may be placed more 
closely together thus 
saving much unneces- 
sary labor. Aside 
from the considera- 
tion of cost, it is 
probable that no 
farmer ever doubted 
the advisability of 
putting up his build- 

Small Gasoline Storage Building, Rochester, Wisconsin, ingS of fireproof COn- 
uilt of concrete block and concrete brick. A very desirable , , ■• 

type of building for the farmer with an automobile. Crete Construction. 




Figure 9. 
b 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 15 



Foundations 

Laying Out the Work. Buildings are usually located with refer- 
ence to some existing object, such as a highway, a drive, or some other 
buildings. Where the location of the building depends upon some other 
object, the first line to be determined should be the one influenced by 
the location of that object. With this established, it may be used as 
a base line, and the corners which come on it should be located next. 
In case the building is not located with reference to some other object, 
the base line should be chosen arbitrarily, and the corners and other 
lines laid out from it. 

One corner will probably be located with reference to some other 
object, and the other corner on the base line will be located a distance 
from the first equal to the length or breadth of the building. Mark 
these by stakes driven in the ground, the exact points being indicated 
by a nail driven in the stake. These corners are referred to in Figure 
10 as kk A" and "B," A B being the base line. 

After the corners on the base line are definitely located, proceed to 
locate another corner, marked "C" in Figure 10. The line which runs 
from "A" to "C", perpendicular to the base line, must first be located. 
To secure a true right angle at "A" measure accurately 6 feet from "A" 
along the base line toward "B", and mark this point carefully by a 
stake and nail, as indicated by " Y". Now measure out exactly 8 feet from 
"A" in the direction of the corner to be found, and mark a curved line 
on the ground; measure from "Y" 10 feet to a point on the curved line; 
drive a stake at this point and then check the measurement, and mark 
the location accurately with a nail in the stake. This point is marked 
"Z" in Figure 10. The point "C" will lie on the line "AZ" projected. 
Corner "D" can be located from "B" the same as "C" was located from 
"A/' 

Should the proposed structure be irregular in outline, it will be neces- 
sary to project the base line far enough to locate all corners from it. In 



o c 

n n 



n 




6-0 

Figure 10. Method of placing stakes for foundation. 



16 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



such a case three or more points may be located on this line, but the 
location of the other corners will be accomplished as described. 

Locating Construction Lines. After having the corners located it 
is necessary to establish these points in a way that they will remain per- 
manent during the construction of the foundation, and this is best ac- 
complished by building at the corners, fence-like forms. (Fig. 11). 
These should be constructed back at least 8 feet from the foundation 
lines and should be long enough to permit of marking both the inside 
and outside foundation lines on the horizontal or top boards. Brace 
the frames sufficiently to withstand the pressure of the tightly drawn 
cords, which they must support as nearly horizontal as possible. 

The points on the corner boards will be located by drawing a cord 
from one board to the other, bringing it directly over the nrils at the 
two corners on the same line; these points should be marked accurately 
on the board by a notch, or by cutting a shallow groove with a saw. 
This cord represents the outside line of the foundation; the inside line 
will be indicated by measuring in a distance equal to the thickness of 
the proposed foundation and stretching a cord between these two points. 
Carefully mark these points on the board in some way, different from the 
marks showing the outside line. 

Excavations. With the lines properly located and marked at all 
corners the excavating may be started. It is usually recommended that 
a foundation be put down below the point reached by frost, but unless 
the natural drainage of the soil is poor it will be unnecessary to excavate 
to a depth of more than three feet, provided solid earth is found at that 
depth. A foundation must be established on solid ground, all loose earth 
or loam being removed. Also if "made ground" or a fill be encountered 
this must be removed to whatever depth is necessary to secure solid 
earth. Excavating for a foundation until a suitable earth footing is 
secured may result in an uneven bottom in the foundation trench. Such 
a condition might prove somewhat annoying if the foundation was to 




Figure 11. Stakes and Construction Lines indicating location of foundation walls. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



17 



be of stone or brick but with concrete the construction will progress the 
same on an uneven as on an even bottom. 

In preparing for a foundation in soil which will stand in a verti- 
cal position and when provision for a basement is not necessary, an ex- 
cavation may be made into which it is possible to place the concrete 
without the use of forms. When this is practicable, the width of the 
trench should, as nearly as possible, be the same as that desired for the 
breadth of the foundation. 

When the concrete is to be placed directly into an excavation, care 
should be taken to protect the edges and to keep dirt out of the con- 
crete. This can be accomplished by placing two or more short pieces 
of 2-inch lumber across the trench and upon these 2 x 12-inch plank, so 
placed that they project over the edges of the trench about an inch. 

A strip of burlap, building paper, or some similar material should 
be tacked along the edge of the board on the bank of the excavation 
opposite that from which the concrete is to be deposited. This cover- 
ing should hang into the trench far enough to protect the walls at a point 
where the concrete strikes when dumped from the wheelbarrow. 

Forms for Foundations Below Ground. Sometimes because of 
the nature of the soil, or possibly because a team and scraper are used in 
removing the earth, the walls of the excavation cannot be kept perpen- 
dicular. In such cases forms must be provided for that portion of the 
foundation below ground, as well as for the portion above ground if 
there be any. 

Unless forms for the whole foundation are to be put up at one time 
it will be best to build them flat on the ground, in units of convenient 
length, and then erect them in place. By having the forms constructed 
in this way they may be removed and used again, with the minimum 




Figure 12. Concrete Foundation for a Farm Building, showing method of bracing forms. 



18 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



damage to the lumber. In building forms flat, the stringers should be 
carefully leveled and the uprights and sheeting carefully placed in the 
correct relative position, otherwise the form will be askew when erected. 
If the forms are to be built in position, first place the stringer shown 
at the bottom of the inner form, Fig. 13, so that when the upright 2-by- 
4's and the sheeting are in place, the inside face of the sheeting will be 
in line with the inner face of the proposed wall. Nail the lower end of 
the uprights to the stringer and attach the top board of sheeting to 
hold the vertical 2-by-4's at the proper distance apart. This frame must 
now be plumbed carefully and held in place by the braces extending 
between the upper end of the 2-by-4's and stakes driven into the ground. 
The remaining sheeting boards may then be placed, starting at the bot- 
tom. With so much of the inner form set, the outer one can easily be 
placed and fastened to the inner one, as shown in the sketch. On ac- 
count of the small space in which to work, the outer part of the form can 
more easily be built in sections as described, and lowered into posi- 
tion. When the forms are not to be handled in sections, it will be ad- 
visable to "break joints" in placing the sheeting, for by so doing, the 
form will be somewhat stiffer and the alignment will more easily be 
maintained. In erecting forms one must bear in mind that they are 
to be removed and when there is only a narrow space between the forms 
and the earth wall, provision should be made for their removal by a 
means which will result in the least damage to the lumber. 




Figure 13. Foundation Wall Forms for use where the ground 
is not firm enough to place concrete without forms. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



19 



It will be noted in the sketch (Figure 13), that the outer form is allowed 
to rest on stones, so that the lower sheeting board is raised a short dis- 
tance from the floor of the footing excavation. This allows the concrete 
to spread out at the bottom of the wall, providing a wider base, which 
is sometimes desirable. 

Instead of supporting the outer part of the form by independent 
bracing into the earth, it will be better to wire it to the inside section. 
Spacing blocks of a length equal to the thickness of the wall, should be 
inserted to keep the two sections of the form in the correct relative posi- 
tion. The wires are then twisted with a piece of iron or a large nail, un- 
til the outer section is drawn against the spacing blocks. The top of 
the uprights are fastened together with cleats (K), as shown in the sketch. 
If the wall is high it may be necessary to put in additional wires and 
blocks near the center of the uprights. 

Some means must be provided for removing the spacing blocks as 
the concreting progresses. This can be done by attaching a wire to 
the block by which it can be withdrawn after being knocked loose. 

Figure 14 shows a type of form to be used when a wide base is wanted. 
This provides for a batter on the outside face of the foundation. The 
details of construction are the same as given for Figure 13 with the excep- 
tion that the bottom sheeting board on the outer form is allowed to 
rest on the floor of the excavation. In case it is desirable to make that 
part of the wall extending above the ground level plumb, small wedge- 




Figure 14. Foundation Wall Forms showing inside form 
raised to provide a spread footing. 



20 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



shaped blocks can be attached to the 2-by-4 uprights of the outer form, 
and the sheeting nailed to these blocks. 

In Figure 15 is shown a type of form used when the character of 
the soil will permit of placing concrete directly against the earth, do- 
ing away with that part of the outer form below the ground level. The 
inner form is erected as described in Figure 13 and the concrete placed 
up to within a few inches of the ground level. When depositing con- 
crete in this type of form, care must be exercised, as dirt is likely to be 
knocked off the sides of the bank into the concrete. The edge of the 
excavation should be protected with boards, as previously described. 
The small outer form is built in sections and set up as shown in Figure 
15 and the concrete for the remainder of the wall placed in the usual 
manner. 

It will be noted that all forms can be built with stock length lumber, 
requiring very little sawing, which permits of the lumber being used later 
for other purposes. If a smooth face is wanted, dressed lumber should 
be used. 

Foundations Above Ground. Foundations for monolithic and con- 
crete block structures need not be carried up above the ground line, as 
is customary with cement plaster, frame and brick buildings erected on 
a concrete base. Where the walls are to be continued up of monolithic 
concrete or concrete block, the top of the foundation should be leveled 
off, so that the forms for the walls may conveniently be placed thereon. 
The top of the foundation should not be trowelled, as trowelling makes 




Figure 15. Foundation Wall Forms for use where inner form 
only is required to extend below ground line. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



21 



it more difficult to secure a good bond between the foundation and the 
wall proper, when the latter is to be continued up. 

It is quite desirable, of course, that the floor of all buildings be some- 
what higher than the surrounding ground level, and to make this pos- 
sible it is customary to carry the foundation of buildings other than 
monolithic and concrete block, a short distance above ground. For this 
purpose, forms are required. Suitable types of forms for projecting the 
foundation walls above ground are shown in Figure 16. 

The forms shown in Figure 16 can either be constructed in sections 
and then set into position, or built in place, depending somewhat on 
local conditions. If the inner and outer parts of the form are built 
separately, in sections, they may be leveled carefully and plumbed as 
units, while if built in position, care must be taken in placing each tim- 
ber. In all cases the bottom boards of the sheeting should be flush with, 
or a little below the top edge of the trench. The top boards of the 
sheeting should be the height of the finished wall. 

From the figure it will be noted that the forms are suspended over 
the trench and not allowed to rest on the new concrete. This is accom- 
plished by placing stringers on the ground a short distance back from 
the trench, supporting the triangular frame bracing. 

If the building is of large dimensions, considerable lumber will be 
required to provide forms so that the whole job can be executed at one 
time, therefore it will be found cheaper to build the forms in sections 
the stock length of the sheeting boards. Four to six sections will be 
ample, unless a large force is employed. The forms can be removed 
and used again when the concrete has hardened sufficiently. By plan- 
ning the work in this way a small amount of lumber will make all the 
forms necessary for the foundation of a large building. 




Figure 16. Form for Foundation Wall above ground. 



22 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




(i) 



(2) 
(3) 



Figure 17. CONCRETE PUMP HOUSES 
On George Lee Tenney's Ranch, Grover, Colorado. Dimensions, 14 feet by 26 feet. Built by 

the owner at an expense of $32.55. 
On the Morgan Farm, Beloit, Wisconsin. 
On the Crab Tree Dairy Farm, Lake Bluff, Illinois. The only building left standing after a 

recent fire. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



23 



Concrete Floors 

/^XE of the most important parts of any concrete farm building is 
^ the floor, and there are many reasons why it should be of con- 
crete. The principal considerations are those of convenience, sanita- 
tion and cost and on all three of these points a concrete floor has prac- 
tically no rivals. There is no excuse today for the rotting, germ infected 
wooden floors formerly so common to farm buildings, with their uneven 
surfaces and occasional broken boards and rat holes. Wooden floors 
are seldom properly drained, owing to the fact that it is impracticable 
to make and keep them tight. Drainage is easily provided with a 
concrete floor, assuring good sanitation. 

The first thing to consider in the building of a floor is the character 
of the soil to be covered. Sometimes when the soil is heavy and holds 
water, a sub-base or foundation of gravel or cinders is advisable, but 
when the soil has good natural drainage, the sub-base is not necessary. 
If a sub-base is desired, excavate the area to be covered by the floor to a 
sufficient depth to permit placing 8 inches of gravel or cinders beneath the 
floor. The gravel or cinders should be packed well by thoroughly wetting 
and tamping. Forms will not generally be required for the floors of small 
buildings, but in cases where are necessary, they should be made of 
lumber 2 inches thick. One-inch material requires more stakes and 
cannot be kept in as good alignment as heavier stuff. Floors of farm 
buildings are generally made 4 inches to 6 inches thick, for which 2 by 
4-inch or 2 by 6-inch form lumber should be used. If the floor is to look 
well when completed, care must be taken to place and keep the forms 
straight and even and they should also be leveled carefully. 

Drainage. For the purpose of securing good drainage the floor 
should be made to slope toward some suitable point; a quarter inch to 
the foot is ample slope for this purpose. In 
small milk houses the floor may be sloped toward 
the tank, and the water conveyed to an outlet 




Figure 18. Straightedge, Wooden Finishing Trowel and Wooden Tamper. 
Home made tools required for laying floors. 



2i 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



by a small gutter running along the floor close to the tank, as shown in 
Figure 65 on page 78; ice house floors should drain to a central outlet, 
piped so as to prevent warm air from entering the ice chamber (see Fig- 
ure 65, page 78); floors of poultry houses and similar structures may 
drain to the outside or to a center drain as desired, while the hog house 
floors should be provided with gutters at the sides of the feeding alley. 
Before beginning the actual construction of the floor, the manner of 
draining must be decided upon, and plans laid accordingly. 

Mixing and Placing the Concrete. For the body of farm building 
floors in general, a mixture in the proportion of 1 sack of cement to 2£ 
cubic feet of clean coarse sand and 4 cubic feet of screened gravel or 
crushed stone will be found suitable. Sufficient water should be used 
in the concrete to produce a mixture which when placed will show mois- 
ture readily on the surface. After the concrete is mixed, the quicker it 
is tamped into place the better. It must be placed before showing the 
least tendency to harden, and under no circumstances should the con- 
crete be allowed to stand longer than half an hour. 

The concrete base is usually covered with a mortar finish coat %- 
inch to 1-inch thick although the surface coat of mortar for the floors 
of farm buildings is considered unnecessary by many persons. If not to 
be given a mortar finish coat, the bases of the floors of hog and poultry 
houses, ice houses, and similar buildings should be finished up with a 
wooden trowel, adding a small amount of mortar, if necessary, to improve 
the, surface. With ordinary care, this treatment will give a surface 
sufficiently smooth for the purposes required of it, and at the same time 
rough enough to prevent persons or animals from slipping. 

The Surface Goat. In such buildings as dairy houses it is generally 
desirable to give the floor a mortar top ^-inch to one inch thick. This 




Figure 19. An excellent type of ventilated Concrete Block Corn Crib. Charles Griesemer, Hopedale, 
Illinois. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



25 



should be laid directly upon the tamped base while the latter is still 
wet and before it has hardened. Great care must be exercised in pre- 
venting sand, dust, clay or other foreign matter from getting into the 
base while it is exposed, for such material invariably prevents a good 
bond between the top and the base. The mortar for the top should 
be mixed in the proportion of 1 sack of cement to 2 cu. ft. of sand, suf- 
ficient water being used to make the mass spread easily. The mortar 
should be mixed in small quantities and placed as quickly as possible. 

Mortar must never be used in the surface coat after it has started 
to harden. The spreading of the top should be done with a |trowel and 
a straight edge, the latter being required in working the surface 
to a true grade. The top should be distributed over the base and 
worked to a uniform surface with as little trowelling as possible. A 
convenient straight 
edge is shown in Fig- 
ure 18. It should be /r^ffi 
made of a piece of 
dressed lumber %- 
inch thick by 4 inches 
wide, and long enough 
to extend between 
forms. By careful use 
of the straightedge 
during the process of 
spreading and trowel- 
ling no difficulty 
should be experienced 
in obtaining a true 
surface, free from dips 
and hollows. 

Figure 20. Steel Rammer, Finishing Trowel, Groover and Edger 
After the top is tor fishing floors and sidewalks. 

spread evenly, it is 

sometimes necessary to wait a little while before finishing it, but the 
top must not be allowed to stand too long, for after standing it may 
require excessive trowelling to get the finish desired. Excessive trowel- 
ling frequently causes checking which disfigures the work and also 
produces a surface which is smooth and slippery. Smoothing with a 
wooden trowel will leave the floor in much better shape than with a 
steel trowel. When the surface of the floor has been properly graded 
and has received sufficient trowelling, it should be marked off into 
blocks, not larger than 5 feet in either dimension. These marks should 
first be made with the point of a trowel and then worked down with a 
groover, which with an edge runner are the only finishing tools neces- 
sary that cannot be home made. (See Figures 18 and 20.) 

After the walk or floor is finished it should be protected until it is 
thoroughly hardened. It should not only be protected against traffic, 
but against rain, frost or too rapid drying out. An excellent practice 
for out-door work is to cover with fine earth or sand as soon as the work 
will permit of such covering without being disfigured. 




26 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




Figure 21. SMALL CONCRETE BUILDINGS ERECTED BY OWNERS 

(1) Smoke House of Sam. Meyer, Bloomingdale, Illinois. Dimensions, 12 feet square. 

(2) Bath House of W. S. A. Smith, Sioux City, Iowa. Dimensions, 10 feet by 10 feet. 

(3) Smoke House of John Schram, Early, Iowa. Dimensions, 8 feet by 8 feet. 

(4) Circular Smoke House of George Rosenhauer, Early, Iowa. 

(5) Poultry House of W. S. A. Smith, Sioux City, Iowa. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



27 



Stairways and Steps 

TF the building is to have a basement, or if it is to be more than one- 
■*■ story in height, concrete steps, or stairways, will need to be pro- 
vided. This work can be accomplished easily, and with the min- 
imum amount of form lumber, by following the procedure laid down in 
the following paragraphs. 

Basement Steps. The first step is to excavate the required space, 
after which the forms should be erected for the side or retaining walls. 
Simple forms, as shown in Figure 22 will answer. , There is an advantage 
of building these forms in place, and bracing them rigidly, one against 
the other at the top and bottom; a smaller amount of lumber will be 
required, however, if one form is used first on one side and then on the 
other, bracing against the opposite wall. After the first side wall has 
become sufficiently strong, the forms are removed, the cleats are re- 
versed, and the forms reset on the opposite side. 

When in position, the forms for the side walls will rest upon the floor 
of the excavation made for the steps. As the walls will project above 
the ground at the building line and slope from this point to the oppo- 
site end of the entrance, an outside, rectangular form will be required 
for this portion, and should be constructed and established the same 




Figure 22. Forms in position for retaining walls for cellar steps. 



28 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



as the form shown in Figure 16. The top of the inside form is attached 
to the outside form, and, in a small way, will help to support it. It 
will be noted that the sheeting boards are placed horizontally, for by so 
placing them, less cutting is required and, therefore, less waste of lum- 
ber. 

If the forms for the side walls are put up so that both can be filled 
at the same operation, each should be braced rigidly at the bottom 
against the side of the excavation while the other is being filled. After 
the concrete is in place on one side, the braces within the forms on the 
opposite side must be removed only as the concrete is placed, for by 
the pressure of the green concrete on one side, both forms will be pushed 
out of line unless sufficient bracing is maintained until the pressure is 
equalized by the concrete in both forms. 

Step Forms. The best type of form is shown in Figure 23. Cross 
pieces are wedged between the side walls and assisted by a bracing, 
supported from a frame, also wedged between the walls. For a start- 
ing point mark on the side wall the position of the top of the finished 
landing, which should be the same elevation as the basement floor, 
(Figure 24). Measure out along this line from the face of the building 
wall a distance equal to the width of the proposed landing, less the thick- 
ness of the material to be used as cross forms; this point will be designated 
as "Q." From "Q" measure vertically a distance equal to the rise of 
one step; this point which will be referred to as "R" indicates the point 
to which the upper outside corner of the cross form will come. 

Locate a point at the junction of the face of the side 
wall with the building wall, a distance from the level of the 
finished landing equal to the rise of four or more steps; measure 




Figure 23. Method of laying out forms for cellar steps. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



29 



out from this point in a horizontal direction a distance equal to the tread 
of one less number of steps than used in getting the elevation, plus the 
width of landing, less the thickness of the riser form; this point will be 
known as "W." Draw a line along the face of the wall through "R" 
and "W." Starting at "R" the distance "X" between points can 
be selected from Table "A." After these points are located, project 
a vertical line through each by the use of a plumb level. 

Table A 

Distance "X." (See Figure 24) 



Rise in 


TREAD IN INCHES 


Inches 


83^2 


9 


W2 


10 


ioy 2 


11 


ny 2 


12 


6 


10% 


ion 


HM 


11 11 

11 16 


ny 8 


l^A 


12H 


13^ 


VA 


iom 


\\% 


ny 2 


nil 


12^ 


12U 


13^ 


13H 


7 


n 


lire 


11M 


12A 


12H 


13 


13^ 


is% 


i l A 


ll^r 


nH 


12K 


12K 


13 


13A 


13H 


14^ 


8 


HH 


12 


im 


12H 


13^ 


isy 8 


14 


14^ 



The cross pieces which are held in place by wedges, should be cut 
about a quarter of an inch shorter than the distance between the walls. 
In placing these bring the face flush with the vertical line, the upper 
outside corner coming to the point located on the line "R." — "W." 

In addition to wedging, which should be sufficient to keep the cross 
pieces in a true horizontal position, bracing, as shown in Figure 23 is 
desirable to keep them from being pushed out when the concrete is 



~' w "w///A 




^^//////////////y//^ ^//////^^''''' 



Figure 24. Method of laying out basement seeps. 



30 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




Figure 25. CONCRETE FARM BUILDINGS. 

(1) Concrete Building on Farm of E. P. Barringer, Ruthven, Iowa, which serves the purpose of a 

bee house, smoke house and safety deposit vault combined. 

(2) Concrete Smoke and Slaughter House, Gedney Farms, White Plains, N. Y. 

(3) Ranch House of George Lee Tenney, near Grover, Colorado. The house is shown closed up 

for the winter, the owner occupying the ranch only during the summer. Mr. Tenney has 
several other examples of good concrete work on his place. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



31 



placed. It will be noted that the upper ends of the vertical pieces 
supporting the cross-forms are nailed to pieces which are held tightly 
against the walls by braces between them. This frame should be built 
in place, as better results will be obtained than if placed after build- 
ing. 



Walls for Concrete Farm Buildings* 

CEVERAL types of concrete walls are successfully used for farm 
^ buildings, each type having its particular advantage, while all 
possess in common the general advantages of concrete construction. 
Monolithic walls are built either plain or reinforced. Block walls 
are built of hollow or solid block or frequently of concrete tile 
where this product is obtainable. Another type of wall is con- 
structed of concrete posts or columns, and slabs cast in forms 
on the ground and afterwards assembled. Plaster walls are built with 
three or more coats of cement plaster applied to metal lath. All of 
these types will be discussed and suggestions for their construction 
given. 

*Limited to walls of one story structures. 




Figure 26. Implement House, Echo Valley Farm, Odeboldt, Iowa. A substantial and pleasing 
structure with ample capacity for the farm implements and tools. Dimensions, 24 feet by 48 feet. 



32 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



Monolithic Walls* 



"IX/rO^NOLITHIC or solid concrete walls are built single, or double 
' L ' J - with an air space. The single walls are recommended for all 
structures except ice houses. Except for the building of the forms, sin- 
gle monolithic walls of moderate height require practically no skilled 
labor. The lumber used for the forms, if carefully handled, is available 
for some other purpose. Double walls consist simply of two single 
walls, usually built up simultaneously, with a small air space between. 
This air space is made as narrow as can be constructed conveniently, 
the width generally being from three to six inches. Monolithic walls 
permit of a wide variety in design, 
and in this construction irregular 
shapes may be made without limit, 
depending upon the skill of the 
builder in providing the necessary 
forms. The essentials for building- 
good monolithic walls are: Well 
made, substantial forms, properly 
proportioned and thoroughly mixed 
materials, and care in placing the 
concrete in the forms and protect- 
ing it until hardened. 



*The word "monolithic" coming from "mono" 
meaning one, and "lith" meaning stone, is used in 
concrete work to denote the objects of concrete 
which are one continuous solid mass, or "as one 
stone." 




Figure 27. Ordinary wooden wall form supported from the ground 
and method of spacing forms. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



33 



Forms for Single- Wall Monolithic Work. There are two general 
types of forms available for the construction of monolithic concrete walls; 
wood forms built for a large section or the entire wall before concreting 
is begun, and wood or metal portable forms which are erected in sec- 
tions as the work progresses. Forms of the former type are built in 
place and are supported by framing from the ground. If carefully 
handled the lumber in such forms need not be damaged but may be used 
for some other purpose later. Forms of the latter type are supported 
by the wall. They may often be purchased from the manufacturers 
but where constructed of wood, they may be built at home. These forms 
can be used a number of times and may quickly be removed and re- 
assembled. They make a large saving in the amount of lumber needed 
and for this reason are especially recommended to the farmer. 

In the selection of lumber for the construction of forms white pine 
is considered the best, but for work of minor importance, the cheaper 
kinds, such as spruce, fir and Norway pine, may be used. Stiff lumber 
is best adapted for struts and braces. All lumber to be used in the face 
of the forms should be free from loose knots and tendency to sliver, 
and should be surfaced on one side and both edges. For smooth work 
tongue and grooved stuff will give the best results. 

For wall forms, two-inch stuff is recommended as lighter material 
springs out of alignment easily and requires closer spacing of studding. 
The lighter lumber also warps badly and is soon inconvenient to handle. 




Figure 28. Portable Self-supporting Form, for 
monolithic construction. 



34 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



4x4 timber with 
rounded corner. 



For ordinary wall forms, two-inch lumber requires studding spaced 
about three feet apart. The construction of forms in the field should 
be planned carefully so that the lumber will cut with the smallest waste. 
The form boards require only light nailing to the studding, as the out- 
ward pressure of the concrete will hold them in place as soon as the 
forms have been filled. A uniform distance between forms is main- 
tained by separators, and twisted wires passed around the studding 
as shown in Figure 27, upper view. 

Forms for Double Wall or Hollow Wall Monolithic Work. In 

the construction of buildings such as ice houses, where it is necessary 
that good insulation against heat be provided, double wall or hollow 
wall monolithic work is often preferred. Double wall work, as the 
name implies, consists of two entirely separate walls, one constructed 
outside the other with a space between. To construct double wall 

monolithic work a special type of 
wall form is required unless the air 
space is sufficiently wide to accom- 
modate two single wall forms back 
to back. The hollow wall may be 
constructed with the aid of cores 
placed in the forms and later with- 
drawn, or by placing in the center 
of the wall, tile or other similar 
material capable of producing an 
air space. 

Double Wall Forms. The 

work of building the double walls is 
simplified if the height of wall built 
each day is limited to 2 or 3 feet. 
W T ith this limitation, an ordinary 
portable or self - supporting wall 
form may be used for the inside of 
the inner wall and for the outside 
of the outer wall, while for the forms 
between the walls, small sections 
made up of one-inch stuff nailed to the flat side of 2 x 4's will generally 
suffice if held apart by some type of convenient spacers. The sections 
should be made up in sizes which will conform to the outer forms, and 
should be planned carefully so as to expedite removing from the walls 
and handling. 

A convenient type of inner form spacer is shown in Figure 30. The 
spacer may be made of 2 x 4-inch material sawed through diagonally 
as shown, and held together by small stove bolts traveling in slots. The 
sides of the spacers are held to one of the inner forms by pegs which 
rest in screw eyes. The inner forms are then spaced at proper dis- 
tances apart by the wooden spacers between the inner and outer forms, 
the wedges of the spacers are driven down into position and the nuts 
on the stove bolts tightened. As soon as the concrete in the walls is 
sufficiently strong the stove bolts are loosened, the wedges driven up, 
and the spacers removed. The forms can then be pulled off easily if they 




FORM FOR ROUNDED 
CORNER 



Figure 29. Form for rounding the inner cor- 
ners of building walls. Rounded corners pre- 
vent the accumulation of dirt and simplify 
cleaning. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



35 



were properly painted with whitewash or crude oil before placing in 
position. 

Runways and Scaffolding. For the walls of one-story farm build- 
ings, the most convenient method of lifting the concrete is by bucket 
or wheelbarrow. The latter method should be used if the work is very 
extensive, but for small jobs, buckets may suffice. Runways must be 
constructed strongly, with easy grades. Avoid sharp turns, and make 
runs at least 20 inches wide where above the ground, always lapping the 
right way. Where considerable work is being done, at least two wheel- 
barrows should be provided, so that the concrete may be placed as rap- 
idly as possible. Wheelbarrows with metal bodies are handier and more 
durable than the wooden ones. Wheelbarrows must be watertight, as 
water allowed to escape from the mass carries cement with it. 

The arrangement of scaffolding and runways must depend to a cer- 
tain extent upon the methods of mixing used. Where the work is done 
by hand the mixing board may be moved around 
and kept conveniently close to the spot where 
the concrete is being used; if a mechanical mixer 
be employed, a good central location must be 
selected, and runways laid out so as to provide 
easy access to the mixer from all parts of the 
work. 

Preparation of Forms. Form boards which 
have been used before must have all concrete 
well cleaned from faces and edges. By painting 
the faces with whitewash, crude oil or a mixture 
of equal parts of linseed oil and kerosene, the 
concrete is prevented from sticking and the forms 
are protected. It is important that forms for 
window and door openings be prepared properly 
to prevent sticking. Attention to this matter 
will save much labor and breakage in removing 
the forms, and is especially important where the 
forms are to be used several times. If the boards 
in the face of the forms contain knot holes, these 
must be covered on the outside with a board, 
and patched up with sticky clay or other simi- 
lar material just before the forms are rilled. The 
clay must be applied from the inside, and trowel- 
led to give a smooth surface. Knot holes are 
sometimes covered with small pieces of tin tack- 
ed on the inside face of the boards, but where 
this is done the imprint of the tin patch is left 
in the wall. 

Forms must be as nearly watertight as possible. Where the water is 
allowed to escape from the mixture, it invariably carries with it a con- 
siderable quantity of cement. Cracks between the boards often leave 
room for the mortar to squeeze through, producing fins or unsightly 
lines on the face of the wall. Sharp corners are hard to fill and are 
easily broken after the removal of the forms; therefore, they should be 




Figure 30. Adjustable 

Spacing Block used to 
keep forms for inner 
and outer walls at 
proper distance apart 
and to facilitate removal 
of the inner forms, 
double monolithic con- 
struction. 



36 SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 

avoided by the use of fillets. Where the forms are held at proper dis- 
tance by wires, these should be amply strong, as the breaking of a wire 
will allow the wall to bulge at that point. 

Joining Old Work. The ideal way of constructing monolithic con- 
crete walls is by one continuous operation, but in most cases this is im- 
possible. Whenever concreting is interrupted, even for an hour, a 
weakened bond will occur between the new concrete and that previously 
placed unless special precautions are taken. Without these precau- 
tions, clearly defined joints or cracks are apt to develop. Frequently 
the work can be divided into sections that can be completed without 
interruption, thus avoiding horizontal joints and creating vertical ones 
where they will not weaken the structure nor detract from its appear- 
ance. To accomplish this, the forms should be erected in sections, or 
a board should be set up in the form, making a complete partition. 
So that the sections of the wall will be keyed into each other, a groove 
should be formed in both ends of the first section, 
and thereafter in one end of each section. Such a 
groove can be made as shown in Figure 31, by plac- 
ing a 2 x 4 vertically against the wall or partition 
in the form. Previous to placing, the edges of the 
2x4 should be dressed so as to make it possible to 
remove it without destroying or marring the 
groove. In the course of construction, the next 
section will be concreted against the first and the 
groove will be filled with concrete, thus keying the 
Figure 31. Method of two sections together. 

joining foundation ° 

rr 1 y S to V ie e ave i an%x e p C an: In building up a wall the concrete in the sec- 

sion joint or where con- tion under construction should be kept at the same 

creting has been discon- ■> -. P >i 1 tp i> pi 

tinued for any reason. level as tar as possible. It tor any reason, tresn 
concrete is to be placed on concrete even partially 
hardened, the surface to be built upon should be thoroughly drenched 
and then covered with a grout made by mixing cement with water to the 
consistency of cream, immediately before concreting is resumed. Con- 
creting should be resumed immediately after the grout is applied and 
before it shows any signs of drying. The amount of water that will be re- 
quired in dampening the old concrete will depend upon a number of con- 
ditions, but its tendency to absorb water must be satisfied; otherwise the 
water will be absorbed from the grout which will make it worthless, and 
defeat the object of its use. 

All foreign matter, such as loose sand, straw, chaff, leaves, etc., 
must be removed from hardened or partially hardened concrete before 
work is resumed. 

Removing the Forms. Haste in removing forms from the work 
often leaves the wall without proper protection from the weather, as 
well as from loads or stresses to which the walls may be subjected. In 
cold weather concrete hardens slower than in warm weather. It is im- 
possible to lay down a definite rule for the removal of forms and other 
conditions from concrete work. In general, it may be stated that forms 
can be removed from concrete walls provided they are not to be loaded 
immediately, as soon as they obtain sufficient strength to retain their 




UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



37 



shape and permit of continuing the work without damage to the con- 
crete in place. The saving of a small amount of time does not compen- 
sate for the risk of removing the forms too soon. Do not mistake a 
frozen wall for one in which the concrete has hardened. In removing 
or taking down the forms care must be taken not to damage the work. 
The forms should be well oiled or whitewashed as previously suggested 
so that the smallest possible amount of prying and bar work will be 
necessary. After removing forms held together by wires, as shown in 
Figure 27, the ends of the wire may be cut off flush with the surface of 
the wall, or if some finish is to be applied, the wires should be broken 
off an inch below the surface to prevent discoloration of the wall from 
rust. 

Surface Finish. If the forms are built of smooth, dressed lum- 
ber, carefully manipulated so as to avoid marring and the concrete be 
placed wet enough to be quaky, and is then well spaded, the walls 
should require no further treatment. If a stucco finish is desired it 
may be secured as directed on page 52, in the chapter on "Cement 
Plaster Walls." It is not generally advisable to paint the surface of 
walls with cement and water grout for this often scales off. 




Figure 32. Monolithic Blacksmith Shop, Echo Valley Farm, Odeboldt, Iowa. A convenient building 
equipped to take care of horse shoeing, wagon and implement repairs, and other forge and machine 
work required about the farm. Dimensions, 16 feet by 18 feet. Built by the owner, 1908. 



38 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




Figure 33. CONCRETE HOG HOUSES. 

(1) Col. J. Watson French's Hog House, Davenport, Iowa. Combination concrete and tile. 

(2) Concrete Block Hog and Chicken House of Fred Kolbert, Harbor Beach, Michigan. 

(3) Hog House of John Hunt, Bad Axe, Michigan. Type of concrete farm building common in 

Northern Michigan. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



39 



Wall Reinforcing 

\ftT ALL reinforcing for small buildings, although a comparatively 
"'simple matter, is one which should receive careful attention. 
The functions of reinforcing metal in such walls are (1) to prevent cracks 
due to settlement and (2) to prevent cracks due to expansion and con- 
traction from heat and cold. In low structures such as those discussed 
in this volume, the live load imposed upon the walls is seldom, if ever, 
great enough to require reinforcing and the wind load need not be con- 
sidered. 

It will generally be found satisfactory to reinforce the walls of one 
story buildings with a net work of vertical and horizontal rods placed 
in the centre of the wall. In double wall work each of the walls must 
be reinforced independently just as though the two walls were entirely 
separate. The reinforcing rods may be round, square, twisted square, 
or of special section so long as they have a sufficient effective cross- 
sectional area. In addition to the rods placed in the body of the wall, 
special reinforcing is required around all window and other openings 
and at all corners as described in later photographs. "Triangle Mesh" 
and similar reinforcing fabrics are sometimes substituted for reinforc- 
ing rods and there is no objection to their use if fabric used has a cross 
section at least equal to that of the reinforcing rods which would oc- 
cupy the same area. 

Such material as barbed wire, worn out fencing ,and scrap iron must 
be avoided if the builder would feel sure of satisfactory work. The 
object of reinforcing is to secure strength, and for such a purpose, weak 
or badly rusted steel is obviously unsuited. Reinforcing rods which 




Figure 34. Concrete Granary, Morgan Farm, Beloit, Wisconsin. This granary has a double row of 
wide bins, with a wide driveway up the middle. The floor and walls are of concrete. 



40 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



have become rusty enough to scale must be cleaned off before placing 
in the wall, as the scale prevents the concrete from obtaining a firm 
grip on the metal. For removing scale, a stiff wire brush will be found 
well suited. 

Size and Spacing of Rods. The following sizes and spacing of 
reinforcing rods is recommended: For walls less than 8 inches in thick- 
ness, use % inch round rods, spaced 24 inches apart, center to center, 
both vertically and horizontally. For walls 8 inches to 10 inches in 
thickness, use J/o-inch round rods spaced 24 inches apart, center to cen- 
ter, both vertically and horizontally. For walls wider than 10 inches, 
two systems of % inch reinforcing rods near the inside and outside of 
the wall should be substituted for the one system at the center. Where 
two systems are required, the rods should be placed about 1 inch in 
from the inner and outer faces of the wall. 

Rods should be wired together rigidly at all intersections, and the 
ends of the rods lapped a distance to equal 64 times the diameter of 
the rod, which, in the case of ^g inch rod, is 24 inches and for 3^2 inch 
rod is 32 inches. The reinforcing network should not be broken at 
any point, except for doors, windows, or other openings. To start the 
reinforcing, the vertical rods should be imbedded 18 inches to two feet 
in the foundation. The lowest horizontal rod should then be wired to 
the vertical rods, all around the building, at the ground level. Addi- 
tional lengths of vertical rods are wired on as required, and the remain- 
ing bands of horizontal reinforcing placed as the work progresses. 

Corner Reinforcing. All corners and openings require special 
methods of reinforcing. A simple and effective scheme for reinforcing 
corners is shown in Figure 36. Instead of being bent at the corners, 




Figure 35. Diagram showing the general scheme for reinforcing monolithic walls for small buildings 
limited to one story in height. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



41 



which is a rather difficult job for long bars, the horizontal reinforcing 
rods are terminated and securely wired to a vertical rod at this point. 
Additional rods about 58 inches in length, bent to a right angle with 
equal legs, are used to reinforce the corner horizontally. These rods 
should be bent on a 6-inch radius, making the straight section of each 
leg about 24 inches long, the length required for good lap with the hori- 
zontal reinforcing, to which the corner reinforcing should be wired. 
For the corner reinforcing, S/g-inch round rod or its equivalent in cross- 
sectional area, should be used. 

Window and Door Openings. For all openings less than 4 feet 
in width, the system of reinforcing shown in Figure 37 is recommended. 
3/g-inch round rods are used. Two rods are placed vertically on each 
side of the opening, two rods are placed horizontally below the opening, 
and three rods above the opening. Two rods are also placed diagonally 
across all corners of the opening as shown in the figure. Reinforcing 
rods placed above openings should be 3 feet longer than the width of 
the opening, while those on each side of, and below openings, should 
be at least 18 inches to 2 feet longer 
than the dimension of the opening 
in the direction parallel to the rods. 
Diagonal rods should be 2 feet to 
3 feet in length. 

Where door or window openings 
are more than 4 feet in width, 1 it is 
advisable to modify the above 
scheme by bending up the ends of 
two of the rods above the opening 
as shown in Figure 38. This serves 
to take care of the large shear load 
which might otherwise unduly stress 
the concrete near the ends of the 
span. If the opening is 8 feet or 
more in width, the wall above 
should be strengthened still further 
by substituting J/^-inch rods for 
the 3/^-mch rods recommended for smaller spans. 

Calculating the Amount of Rods Required. It is a simple mat- 
ter to figure out, fairly accurately, the amount of reinforcing rods required 
for the walls of any simple farm building. The number of rods needed 
for the vertical reinforcing equals one-half the perimeter of the build- 
ing in feet, and for the horizontal reinforcing, one-half the height of 
the wall in feet multiplied by the number of rods in each course of hori- 
zontal reinforcing. Four corners require about 10 feet of extra rod per 
foot in height. The extra reinforcing metal around the windows and 
doors varies, of course, with the size of the opening. Reinforcing rod 
is sold by the pound, and generally comes in stock lengths from 12 feet 
to 30 feet. The area, weight per foot, and number of feet per pound 
of the commoner sizes of square and round reinforcing rods are given 
in the following table: 




2-P* 



'**P-2j$$$'s 



m 



-; *.?. 



Figure 36. Method of reinforcing corner 
of monolithic buildings. 



42 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



Figure 37. Method of plac- 
ing reinforcing rods around 
wall openings less than 4 
feet in Width. 




Figure 38. Method of placing rein- 
forcing rods around wall openings 
with width greater than 4 feet. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



43 



Table B 







Weight of 


Length of 




Weight of 


Length of 


Size 


Area 
Square Rod 


Square Rod 
1 Ft. Long 


1 Lb. of 
Square Rod 


Area of 
Round Rod 


Round Rod 
1 Ft. Long 


1 Lb. of 
Round Rod 


M 


.0625 Sq. In. 


. 212 Lbs. 


4. 720 Ft. 


.0491 Sq. In. 


. 167 Lbs. 


6. 000 Ft. 




.0977 Sq 


In. 


. 333 Lbs. 


3. 000 Ft. 


.0767 Sq. In. 


. 261 Lbs. 


3. 830 Ft. 


H 


.1406 Sq 


In. 


. 478 Lbs. 


2. 090 Ft. 


.1104 Sq. In. 


. 375 Lbs. 


2. 665 Ft. 


7 


.1914 Sq 


In. 


. 651 Lbs. 


1.530 Ft. 


.1503 Sq. In. 


.511 Lbs. 


1.957 Ft. 


H 


.2500 Sq 


In. 


. 850 Lbs. 


1. 175 Ft. 


.1963 Sq. In. 


. 667 Lbs. 


1.500 Ft. 


9 


.3164 Sq 


In. 


1.076 Lbs. 


. 930 Ft. 


.2485 Sq. In. 


. 845 Lbs. 


1.182 Ft. 


5 4 


.3906 Sq 


In. 


1.328 Lbs. 


. 752 Ft. 


.3068 Sq. In. 


1.043 Lbs. 


. 958 Ft. 


z 4 


.5625 Sq 


In. 


1.913 Lbs. 


. 523 Ft. 


.4418 Sq. In. 


1.502 Lbs. 


. 665 Ft. 


y% 


.7656 Sq 


In. 


2. 603 Lbs. 


. 384 Ft. 


.6013 Sq. In. 


2. 044 Lbs. 


. 489 Ft. 


i 


1.0000 Sq 


In. 


3. 400 Lbs. 


. 294 Ft. 


.7854 Sq. In. 


2. 670 Lbs. 


. 375 Ft. 



Table C 

TABLE OF AREAS OF ROUND REINFORCING RODS AND WIRE 



Diameter 
in Inches 



°4 

y 2 



A. S & W. 
Gauge 



7/0 
6/0 

5/0 

4/0 



3/0 

2/0 



Diameter 

in Decimals 

of an inch 



1.000 
.875 
.750 
.625 
.500 

.490 
.460 
.437 
.430 
.393 

.375 
.362 
.331 
.312 

.307 

.283 
.265 
.250 

. 244 
.225 

.207 
.192 
.187 
.177 
.162 

.148 
.135 
. 125 
.120 
.105 



Area in 

Square Inches of 

Round Rod or Wire 



785 
602 
442 
307 
196 

189 
166 
150 
145 
121 

110 
103 

080 
076 
074 

063 

054 
049 

047 
040 

034 
029 
027 
025 
020 

017 
014 
012 
011 

008 



Area in 

Square Inches of 

Square Rods 



1.000 
.766 
.563 
.391 
.250 



.191 



.141 



098 



.063 



44 SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 

Cutting and Bending Rods. The simplest manner of cutting 
small reinforcing rods is by means of a cold cut or chisel on an anvil or 
heavy piece of steel. Rods are sometimes cut up with a hack saw, but this 
method is somewhat slower. After indenting the rod all around with 
a chisel or cutting in a small distance with a saw, the end of the rod 
may be placed in some convenient device for holding it, while the oppo- 
site end is bent back and forth until the fracture occurs. Where there 
are a large number of rods required, as is the case when several build- 
ings are to be erected, it is sometimes economical to invest in large bench 
shears, thus materially reducing the time required to cut the rods. 

Single bends or angles in moderate sized rods are simple to make 
and hardly require explanation. Where three or four bends must be 
made some difficulty may be encountered in getting them all in the de- 
sired plane and at proper angle. The proper angles can generally be 
obtained quite easily by first marking off the desired shape of the rods 
on a board floor or top of a heavy bench and then nailing on substan- 
tial cleats in such a manner that the rods, when bent up between these 
cleats, will have the required angles. To prevent the rods from bend- 
ing out of plane, clamps may also be required. In cases where there 
are a considerable number of rods to be bent, it may be economical to 
have the work done by a local blacksmith or secure a small bending 
machine, obtainable at moderate expense. 

Walls Without Reinforcing. Short walls of excessive width and 
limited height are very often built without reinforcing. They are gener- 
ally satisfactory for the first floor of low barns and similar work. Walls 
constructed without reinforcing should not be less than 12 inches in 
width. The height should be limited to 12 feet, and the length of each 
section of the wall should be limited to 30 feet. An expansion joint 
must be left between each section, as explained on page 36. 



y - ; ,- „ 



m 

Figure 39. Iowana Farm, Davenport, Iowa, Col. J. Watson French, proprietor. The silos are of 
monolithic concrete. All of the buildings on the place are built of a combination of concrete and 
tile. Tri-City Construction Company, Davenport:, Contractors. 




UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



4.5 



Concrete Block Walls 

/CONCRETE block walls have found general favor because of their 
^ pleasing appearance, economy in construction, and also for the 
reason that the blocks may be made at odd times. Walls of this type 
can be made in a variety of face designs without the use of forms. Hol- 
low block walls of a given size require but two-thirds the amount of 
material necessary for solid walls of the same dimensions, and the air 
spaces in hollow blocks interrupt the passage of heat and cold. 

Concrete Blocks. For the sake of uniformity in appearance, blocks 
for a given piece of work should be made with the same materials, 
proportions, and amount of water. The blocks should also be cured 
under the same conditions. These precautions are necessary to insure 
uniform quality and color. The plain faces, either tooled or panelled, 
or broken ashlar designs are recommended in preference to the more 
common rock face which 
often presents an artifi- 
cial appearance. 

In the design of con- 
crete block buildings the 
dimensions of the blocks 
available should be 
taken into consideration, 
and the plans so made 
that the walls may be 
built as nearly complete 
as possible with whole 
and half blocks, avoiding 
fractional sizes. 

Concrete Sills and 
Lintels. Concrete sills 
and caps may conveni- 
ently be used in walls made of any material, as these are easy and in- 
expensive to make in any desired size. Most block dealers carry such 
sills and caps in stock or have equipment for making them. If they 
cannot be purchased they can be molded in simple wooden forms simi- 
lar to that shown in Figure 40. This form will make sills of any length, 
casting them face down. Proper slope is given to the top of the sill 
by tapered board (a). The pallet and sides of the mold should be dressed, 
covered with varnish or shellac, so as to give the sill a smooth surface, 
free from marks showing the grain of the lumber. By removing this, the 
form is made suitable for casting lintels or caps. A mixture of 1 part 
cement to 2 3^ parts coarse sand, to 2 parts small stone aggregate, will 
be found satisfactory, enough water being used to make the mass quaky. 
A 1 :%}/$> cement and sand mixture should be used to surface the work. 
About one inch of this facing should be put down first, and pockets 
and uneven patches avoided by working the facing well up to all sur- 
faces. The mold should then be filled up with the l:2j^:2 concrete, 
and tapped with a hammer or jarred to compact the mass and force 
out the air. 




Mold Box for Casting Sills and Lintels, face down, and 
inished Sill. 



Figure 40. 



46 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



The bottom of the sill may be smoothed off with a wooden straight 
edge. The width of sill must be about lj^ inches greater than the 
thickness of the wall. Form marks and other irregularities can be 
removed by rubbing with a concrete brick made of one part cement 
to two parts sand. 

Laying Concrete Block Walls. The rules for laying block walls 
are simple. The "knack" of doing neat and rapid work is not hard to 
acquire. The equipment necessary consists of a mortar mixing box, 
3 feet by 5 feet, mortar board 30 inches by 30 inches made of 1-inch 
lumber, planed on one side and both edges and held together by two 
or three cleats; also a trowel, hand level, straight edge and plumb 
board. All blocks must be drenched with water before being used 
or the moisture will be drawn from the mortar. The first course of 
block should be laid upon a mortar joint fluctuating in thickness so 
that regardless of any irregularities in the blocks the course will be 
absolutely level. The blocks, which have previously been drenched, 
are laid in a quarter-inch bed of cement mortar. A quarter-inch 
mortar joint is also placed between the ends of abutting blocks. 
Each course is begun at the corners and laid toward the middle of 
the wall. The blocks should be laid level and kept in perfect align- 
ment. Good alignment is maintained by working strictly to a line, 
stretched over the outer edge of the wall on the same level with the 
top of the blocks being laid. The wall should be tested frequently 
by placing the plumb level against it to see that it is perpendicular. 

If a concrete roof is to be placed on a concrete block building, the 
top course of blocks must either be cast without air spaces, or the air 




Figure 41. Monolithic Milk House and Tank. Funk Farms, Shirley, Illinois, 
concrete hog house and several concrete silos. 



Mr. Funk also has a 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



47 



spaces must be filled up with concrete before the blocks are laid. If 
the latter method is used, the blocks may conveniently be laid down on a 
concrete or other flat surface with the air spaces in a vertical position, 
and the latter filled with slush concrete. If it is desired to build a con- 
crete roof upon a concrete block building which has been up for some 
time, it may be found convenient to lay small sections of sheet iron or 
similar material over the air spaces in the blocks to prevent the concrete 
from running through. 

Good cement mortar is made in proportions of 1 part cement and 2 
parts sand mixed with enough water to make it of the required consis- 
tency. Regardless of the care taken in the preparation of the mortar, 
it will be practically destroyed by being robbed of its moisture, unless 
the blocks are damp when placed. Cement mortar starts to harden 
very soon, and for this reason only such quantities as will be used with- 
in half an hour should be mixed. 



Table D 



NUMBER OF STANDARD SIZE CONCRETE BLOCK NECESSARY PER 
LINEAR FOOT OF WALL 



Height of Wall 


Number of 
Blocks per 
Linear Ft. 


Height of Wall 


Number of 
Blocks per 
Linear Ft. 


Height of Wall 


Number of 
Blocks per 
Linear Ft. 


2 ft 


2.25 
3.00 
3.75 
4.50 
5.25 
6.00 


6 ft 


6.75 
7.50 
8.25 
9.00 
9.75 


9 ft. 4 in 

10 ft 


10.50 


2 ft. 8 in 


6 ft. 8 in 

7 ft. 4 in 

8 ft 

8 ft. 8 in 


11.25 


3 ft. 4 in 

4 ft 


10 ft. 8 in 

11 ft. 4 in 

12 ft 


12.00 
12.75 


4 ft. 8 in. . 


13.50 


5 ft. 4 in 







NOTE — These blocks are 7% inches high, by 15^ inches long, by 8 inches in width, 
which makes them 8 inches high, 16 inches long and 8 inches in width in the wall. This 
allows for a quarter inch of mortar around each block. 



48 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



Unit Column and Slab Walls 



Method of Construction. In slab or panel wall construction, the 
individual wall sections and the posts or columns are cast separately on 
the ground and when properly hardened, are assembled so as to form a 
complete wall. This construction is well suited to low buildings such 
as cattle and implement sheds, poultry houses, piggeries, etc. The 
slabs are held in place by columns or posts recessed to receive them as 
illustrated by Figure 42. These recesses are formed by attaching to 
the sides of the mold, strips of wood, the dimensions of which are the 
same as those of the recesses required. Slabs may be made to weigh as 
much as 600 pounds, although they are more conveniently handled 

if made lighter. The 
weight of a slab 2 inches 
thick 2 feet wide and 8 
feet long is 400 pounds. 
Although the thickness 
may vary somewhat, the 
length should not be over 
8 feet. Two feet is a con- 
venient width, but with 
a short length a greater 
width may be used. 

Columns are requir- 
ed on each side of door 
or window openings to 
hold the slabs in line; 
however, with small win- 
dows, where the depth 
is not greater than the 
width of one slab, a wood- 
en window frame is suffi- 
cient. Where possible, it 
is well to place the open- 
ing next to columns, for 
by this arrangement only 
one extra column is nec- 
essary for long openings; 
and for small windows 
the end of only one slab 
need be held in line by 
the window frame. 

The Columns. The general shape of the column mold is illus- 
trated by Figure 107 page 122. Molds should be made of 2-inch mate- 
rial and well braced at the center to prevent bulging. Pallets are not 
necessary for the line column molds, as the cores are placed on the two 
opposite sides. The corner columns must be made on a pallet as they 
are recessed on two adjacent sides, the cores for one recess being fastened 




Figure 42. Section of Slab Wall showing re- 
inforcing in slabs and walls. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



49 



to the pallet, while the other is fastened to one side of the mold. The 
cores should be beveled one-eighth of an inch on each side, so that they 
can be drawn from the columns without injury to them. Where slabs 
2 inches in thickness are used, line columns should be 7 inches square. 
Columns having two adjacent sides recessed should be 8 inches square, 
however, in order to give ample section of concrete between recesses. 
Care should be taken that the recesses in the heavier columns are placed 
the same distance from the exterior surface as those in the lighter columns. 

The reinforcing consists of four % mc ^ rods, held together with soft 
iron wire ties spaced about 12 inches apart along the reinforcement. 
Concrete for the columns is mixed in the proportion of 1 part cement, 
to 23^2 parts clean, coarse sand, to 3 parts screened gravel not to exceed 
% inch in size. The reinforcing rods in two corners diagonally oppo- 
site should be allowed to project about 3 inches from one end of the col- 
umn; this may be accomplished by boring holes in the end of the molds 
and allowing the rods to project through. When the columns are set 
up, these rods will be grouted into holes drilled in the floor or foundation 
wall. 

Concrete posts set 40 inches in the ground may be used instead of 
columns. These posts should be of the same cross section and recessed 
in the same way as the columns, excepting that they are 40 inches longer 
to provide for placing in the ground. For this construction a concrete 
curb of the same width as the posts should be placed between them to 
furnish proper support for the slabs. The curb must be built on firm 
soil, being about 18 inches in height, and extending not over 6 inches 
above ground. 

The Panels or Slabs. Forms for the slabs are made of lumber 4 
inches wide and of the same thickness as the slabs. The side pieces are 
cut two feet longer than the length of the required slab to provide for 
cleats to hold the end pieces, which are cut to the same length as the 
width of the slab. The sides are wired together with No. 12 wires looped 
through %-inch holes in the form and held by placing nails in the loops, 




Figure 43. Forms for Wall Slabs. 



50 SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 

as shown in Figure 43. Where slabs have a length of from 6 to 8 feet 
a tie wire is placed 2 inches from each end and one midway between. 

The wires serve not only as ties, but also as the cross reinforcing at 
these points. The end ties are twisted until the sides are drawn tight 
against the end pieces and the middle then drawn as tight as possible 
without distorting the sides from a straight line. With shorter slabs, 
two tie wires will probably answer. These should be located so as to 
replace two of the reinforcing rods, and at the same time properly secure 
the form. After the tie wires have been twisted sufficiently tight, the 
long reinforcing rods are placed and wired to them with soft iron wire 
as shown in Figure 43. The form is then turned over and the cross 
rods are wired to the long ones. It is well to wire the reinforcing in a 
number of forms before starting to place the concrete, thus necessitat- 
ing no interruption in the latter part of the work. 




Figure 44. Tripod, Block and Tackle for lifting and placing 
columns and slabs. 

With a smooth floor or platform available, the wall slabs may be 
cast directly upon it, or if the structure is to have a concrete floor this 
should be built first and when properly hardened will afford a con- 
venient place for the making of slabs. In order to economize in floor space 
the slabs may be cast with a layer of paper to prevent the slabs from ad- 
hering to the floor or to each other. 

For any size slab, up to 2 feet by 8 feet, the reinforcing should con- 
sist of 3^t-inch round or square steel rods free from rust. Reinforcing 
rods must be placed one inch from each edge, the remaining horizontal 
rods being spaced about four inches apart, and the vertical rods twelve 
inches apart or less. The more closely spaced reinforcing must always 
be placed horizontally, and wider spaced reinforcing vertically, no mat- 
ter whether the length of the slab extends in a horizontal or a vertical 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



51 



direction. Thus, a slab made to be used in a horizontal position in the 
wall is not properly reinforced for use in a vertical position; the oppo- 
site is equally true. 

The mixture used should be made of 1 part cement, 2^ parts clean, 
coarse sand and 2 parts gravel — the latter not to exceed one-half inch 
in size. If no gravel is used the proportion of sand may be increased 
to three parts. Enough water must be used to give a quaky consis- 
tency. Cement mortar is placed between the slabs and also in the 
recesses between columns and slabs, thus making a weather-tight wall. 
Before filling in these joints, the edges of the slabs and columns should 
be soaked thoroughly and painted with a cement grout. 

Tripod and Tackle. The work of placing the columns and slabs 
in position is greatly simplified by the use of a tripod with block and 
tackle, as shown in Figure 44. The tripod can conveniently be made of 
2x6 inch or 2 x 8 inch plank held together at the top by a large bolt 
or rod from which the block and tackle are suspended. In placing re- 
cessed columns or posts with the tackle it is advisable to protect the 
corners from injury by using wood between the concrete and the rope, 
as shown in the figure. No attempt should be made to place either 
columns or slabs until these are thoroughly cured, for the greatest 
strains on these members are carried while being placed in position. 




Figure 45. Beach Farm Dairy, Ccldwater, Michigan, Neal & Angevine, proprietors. Barns, silos, 
dairy house and other buildings are of monolithic concrete. Tne walls of all the structures ex- 
cept the silos are marked off in imitation of concrete blocks. The low building to the right is the 
dairy barn, which is ventilated by means of the two concrete stacks. R. C. Angevine, Coldwater, 
was the contractor. 



52 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



Cement Plaster Walls 

Method of Construction. Cement plaster construction offers one 
of the most convenient as well as economical methods of building con- 
crete walls for small farm buildings. The framework for the support 
of the plaster walls should be constructed on concrete columns and beams, 
cast in mold boxes similar to that shown in Figure 107, on page 122. For 
ordinary low farm buildings, columns and beams 8 inches square may 
be considered standard, being reinforced with one round reinforcing rod 
near each corner. In general, where the length of the columns or beams 
does not exceed 8 feet, columns may be reinforced with four ^g-inch 
round rods, and beams with four 3^-inch round rods. Rods of shapes 
other than round may be used if equivalent in size, that is equal in cross 
sectional area. 

A good method of securing the columns to the foundation or floor 
is described on page 49. Two reinforcing rods diagonally opposite should 
be allowed to extend 3 inches from the end of the columns, which is to 
be placed on the foundation as suggested under "Unit Slab and Panel 
Walls." A suitable method of joining columns and beams is shown in 
Figure 46. A 13^-inch round rod twelve inches long should be placed 
in the center of the top end of each column, being allowed to protrude 
up 6 or 7 inches. The purpose of these rods is to form pins by which 
the beams are secured to the columns. 

All beams may be cast in the same mold box as the columns, small 
end cores being inserted to form the recesses in both ends of the beams 
as indicated in the illustration. Special attention should be given to 
joining the beams at the corners, and for this purpose the shaping as 
shown, of the ends of all beams at the corners, will be found convenient. 
No. 12 galvanized wires should be embedded in the outer face of the 
columns and beams at intervals of 10 to 12 inches, these being required 




END BEAM 



/z rd rod 'in center of post 
2, " ho/e /n beam 



NTERMEDIATE 
BEAMS 



_iy&£ &$'&. 




k4^ 




Vi^i 



Figure 46. Method of joining end beam, intermediate beams and corner beams to column. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



53 



to hold the wire lath in place. After the beams are in place, the spaces 
at the joints should be filled with mortar, wet enough to flow readily 
to all parts of the joint, filling every crevice. 

Metal Lath. Several types of metallic lath are obtainable. One 
type, made from slotted metal, is formed into a variety of shapes with 
different size openings and can be obtained in various weights; the lath 
is usually coated temporarily to protect the metal from rusting. This 
type of lath provides a good support for the first plaster coat because 
of the rough or uneven surfaces which catch and hold the plaster, but 
the cut edges of the metal have a tendency to rust where there is any 
dampness, unless the lath is thoroughly covered with plaster on both 
sides. 

Another type, known as wire lath, is made from drawn wire, woven 
to form a network of fabric having 2 J/2 meshes per inch. The lath is 
obtainable japanned or galvanized and with various sizes of wire; the 
best lath is one that has been galvanized after weaving, as the coating 
is thus more service- 
able besides adding 
to the stiffness of the 
lath. While wire 
lath does not pro- 
vide as good a sup- 
port for the first 
plaster coat as slot- 
ted metal lath, the 
drawn surfaces show 
less tendency toward 
rusting. For straight 
walls, lath made 
from No. 18 wire is 
recommended, but 
for shaping cornices, 
etc., it is better to 
use the lighter wire 
(No. 21) as this can 
be bent more easily 
to the desired form. 

Applying the 
Lath. Care should 
be taken to stretch 
wire lath well over 
the framework, 

otherwise when applying the first plaster coat the lath will bend in 
places under the pressure of the trowel, thus interfering with the 
clinch of the plaster upon the mesh and giving the wall an un- 
even surface. Where metallic lath without stiffener is used, the 
columns should not be placed further apart than 4 feet; where it is de- 
sirable to place the columns at a greater distance apart, it is necessary 
that the lath be stiffened either by a system of vertical reinforcing rods 
or that lath with self-contained stiffeners be used. J^-inch reinforcing 
rods make suitable stiffeners when spaced 12 to 18 inches apart; extra 




Figure 47. An Attractive Concrete Barn on the farm of John Lind- 
holm, St. Charles, Illinois. Dimensions, 20 feet by 30 feet inside. 
Cost, $600. This building contains a carriage and automobile 
room, stalls for one horse and three cows, a small granary, and a 
hay mow. 



54 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



rods should be put in, however, around door and window openings, 
about 2 inches back from the surface. The lower ends of these rods 
may be grouted into holes drilled in the top of the foundation, while 
the top ends should be secured by the No. 12 wires placed in the beam. 
It is generally advisable to use one horizontal reinforcing rod as a tie 
for the vertical rods. The horizontal rod should be x /i inch in diameter, 
placed 2 to 3 inches below the window openings. The horizontal rods 
must be wired to the vertical rods at each intersection. 

Metal lath should be lapped at least one inch wherever joined, and 
fastened to the columns and stiffeners in such a manner as to preclude 
the possibility of sagging or bulging. For fastening metal lath to the 
stiffeners, No. 18 soft wire galvanized, is recommended, although No. 
16 plain soft wire may be used instead. Wire lath is sold in rolls, and 
there are several advantages in running the lath in strips around the 
building, rather than putting on the length of the roll in a vertical di- 
rection. Expanded metal is generally sold in large sheets of various 
size, and may be cut up in such a manner as to make one sheet completely 
cover the space between two adjacent columns. It is generally advis- 
able to put up a temporary wooden framing to hold the lath rigidly in 
position until the first plaster coat is applied. 

Number and Thickness of Plaster Coats. Cement plaster is 
usually applied in three or more coats, designated as the first coat, the 
intermediate coat, and the finish coat. For best results no plaster coat 
should be more than half an inch thick, regardless of the thickness of 
the wall desired. In order to estimate the amount of cement and sand 
required in covering the walls with cement plaster, the following table 
has been prepared: 

Table E 

NUMBER OF SQUARE FEET OF WALL SURFACE COVERED PER SACK 

OF CEMENT, FOR DIFFERENT PROPORTIONS AND VARYING 

THICKNESS OF PLASTERING 





MATERIALS 


TOTAL THICKNESS OF PLASTER 


Proportions 


Sacks 
Cement 


Cu. Ft. 
Sand 


Bushels 
Hair* 


V2 In. 


M In. 


1 In. 


134 In. 


\V2 In. 


of Mixture 


Sq. Ft. 
Covered 


Sq. Ft. 
Covered 


Sq. Ft, 
Covered 


Sq. Ft. 
Covered 


Sq. Ft. 
Covered 


1:1 

1:1)4 
1:2 

1:3 


1 
1 
1 
1 
1 


1 

iy 2 

2 

2V2 

3 


Vs 

Vs 

Vs 


33.0 
42.0 
50.4 
59.4 
67.8 


22.0 
28.0 
33.6 
39.6 
45.2 


16.5 
21.0 

25.2 
29.7 
33.9 


13.2 
16.8 
20.1 
23.7 
27.1 


11.0 
14.0 
16.8 
19.8 
21.6 



*Used in scratch coat only. 

NOTE — -These figures are based on average conditions and may vary 10% in either 
direction, according to the quality of the sand used. 
No allowance is made for waste. 

After deciding upon the total thickness of the wall and the mix- 
ture to be used, it is easy to determine the total materials required for 
covering a given wall surface, since the table shows the number of square 
feet of surface covered by the mortar produced from one sack of cement. 
The table does not consider the cement mortar likely to be lost through 
waste when plastering; part of this waste, however, can be prevented 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



55 



by placing a plank on the ground at the base of the wall to catch the 
plaster that falls. Plaster should never be used after it has once 
begun to harden and therefore should not be allowed to accumulate, 
but should be gathered up promptly and remixed with the mortar 
already prepared. It may be well to state here that cement plaster 
should not be mixed in batches larger than are needed for immediate 
use, otherwise, some of the mortar may begin to harden before it can 
be used and must therefore be thrown away. 

When the sand used for the mortar is practically dry, the cement 
may be mixed with the dry sand in one sack batches and portions of 
this mixed with water as required. When the materials cannot be han- 
dled in this way and the mortar must be mixed in batches requiring less 
than a sack of cement, the proper amount of cement should be meas- 
ured by weight and not by bulk. If it is kept in mind that one sack 
of cement contains one cubic foot and weighs 94 pounds, it is easy to 
determine the weight of any desired fraction of a cubic foot. 

Mixtures for 
Mortar. For the first 
coat a mixture of 1 
part cement to lJ/£ 
parts clean, coarse, 
well graded sand is 
recommended to 
which Y% bushel of 
hair or fibre is added 
per barrel of cement. 
The hair or fibre 
should be soaked 
thoroughly and well 
separated before using 
it in the mortar; the 
best results will be ob- 
tained if the propor- 
tion of hair or fibre is 
mixed thoroughly 
with the required 
amount of dry sand 
before adding the 
cement. 

There is a tend- 
ency among plasterers to use lime in the first coat and sometimes in the 
other coats, but because of the danger of getting unslaked material into the 
mixture, the use of lime is to be discouraged. If lime is permitted it should 
be added in the proportions of one part lime putty to ten parts cement 
and sand mortar. At least two weeks before using it in the mortar, the 
lime should be slaked thoroughly ; a day or two before beginning work the 
lime should be reduced to liquid form by the addition of water and should 
be strained through No. 16 sieve into a tight box to remove any unslaked 
particles. This mixture should then be allowed to settle and form a lime 
putty, the surplus water being drawn off or evaporated; the lime putty 
may be kept indefinitely if not allowed to become hard. 




Figure 48. Concrete Block Well House of Mr. M. Sullivan, Mar- 
shall, Minnesota. Marshall Tile and Sidewalk Company, builders. 



.50 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



Applying the Plaster. The first coat should be of such a thick- 
ness as will cover the lath and fill the meshes, and as soon as suffi- 
ciently hardened it should be scratched at right angles and at 45 
degrees to the horizontal with a scratcher to provide a surface for the 
next coat. The scratcher may be made as shown in Figure 49. It 
should not cut a sharp line in the plaster, but rather form grooves with 
ridges on the sides, thus making a rough surface to receive the next 
coat. 

The second coat and all subsequent coats should be applied after the 
preceding coat has hardened, but preferably before it has had time to 
dry out. Each coat should be brought to a true plane and, excepting 
the finish coat, should be scratched in the same way as the first coat. 
Immediately before applying any coat, the preceding coat should be 
thoroughly drenched and then treated with a grout of neat cement 
mixed with water to the consistency of thick cream. This grout is 
applied with a calcimining brush and the plaster must be put on before 
the grout shows the least indication of drying. All intermediate coats 
should be mixed the same as the first coat, omitting the hair or fibre. 

Pebble-Dash Finish. For the finish coat a mixture of 1 part ce- 
ment and 2}/2 parts coarse sand is recommended and this should 
be prepared and applied in the manner described for the previous 
coats. To obtain a rough cast or pebble dash finish the mixture above 
mentioned is dashed against the wall from the hand or from a paddle 
or a swab of tightly bound, pliable twigs, and adhering to the wall 
forms a rough, hard surface. Sometimes a part of the sand is replaced 
by an equal amount of small pebbles or limestone passing a x /i inch 
screen and free from dust. The mixture is taken up in the hand or 




Figure 49. Two forms of simple and effective scratchers. The 
lower scratcher is made of an old saw-blade or scrap of tempered 
steel. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 57 

on the paddle or swab and thrown directly toward the wall; it 
should strike squarely, for if the mixture strikes the wall at an angle 
it will not adhere. After some practice, the material can evenly be 
distributed over the wall by this means. The texture of this finish will 
vary with the size of the material used in the mixture, and with the 
consistency, but in all cases the dust and fine particles should be re- 
moved from the aggregate. Before starting to apply a pebble-dash 
finish it is wise to experiment with small areas of surface made with 
various sized materials. This may be done in out-of-the-way places in 
the wall, and later covered, if necessary. In this manner an idea of the 
various texture is obtained, and an intelligent selection is made. 

Precautionary Measures. In plastering buildings the work should 
be planned so that, if possible, an entire wall of the structure can be cov- 
ered with plaster in one day; this will tend to produce uniformity in 
the texture and color. Great care should be taken to keep the mate- 
rials, the proportions and consistency of the mixture, and the methods 
of application the same from day to day, for variation in one or all of 
these will produce a wall of mottled appearance. This is especially im- 
portant for the finish coat, where it is highly desirable to produce a 
uniform color and surface. Should it become necessary to stop work 
before any coat has been applied to the entire surface, the treatment to 
obtain proper bond should not be ignored. No plastering should be 
done during freezing weather. In hot weather the plaster should be 
protected from sun or drying winds; otherwise cracking and checking 
from too rapid drying may result. Protection may be provided by 
hanging a cloth six inches or so away from the wall and keeping this 
damp until the paster has well hardened. 







Figure 50. Concrete Block Corn Crib on the Farm of C. D. 
Babb, near Wagner, Illinois. Mr. Babb has two cribs of this type 
which have been in use for two years and are giving satisfaction. 



58 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



Concrete Roofs for Farm Buildings 



ON the average farm, with six to twelve buildings, the work of keeping 
^ the shingled roofs in repair frequently consumes much time and 
makes considerable expense, and at best some of the roofs are nearly 
always in a leaky condition. 

Wooden roofs are short lived, need frequent repairs, often become 
warped and unsightly, and are liable to cause the destruction of the 
whole building by fire, even though other parts are built of practically 
non-combustible materials. The roof is the most vulnerable part of 
the building; it is exposed to sparks and embers from without, and if 
made of a combustible material, is easily set ablaze by fires from with- 
in, which quickly reach the roofs of small buildings. Steel roofs are 

expensive in first cost 
rj ' and upkeep, requir- 

/"~^-~~-^. ing frequent painting 
,_f\ to prevent rusting 

out. Such roofs are 
easily blown off by 
high winds, and read- 
ily twist out of shape 
or collapse under the 
heat of a fire. 

Although several 
roofing materials are 
available, concrete 
makes the best roof for 
small concrete farm 
buildings. The first 
cost of a concrete roof 
is very often no great- 
er than that of a wood- 
en roof, and when 
freedom from repairs 
is considered, the con- 
crete roof is undoubtedly the cheaper. The extra expense of putting a 
concrete roof on a concrete building is not great, as the concreting 
materials for the roof can be hauled at the same time as those for the 
walls, and the additional work of mixing and placing the concrete 
amounts to only a few hours labor, with materials and tools already 
on hand. The forms need only consist of a floor of dressed boards 
rigidly supported by a scaffolding. 

The ordinary types of wooden, steel and slate roofs require a com- 
paratively steep slope to make them proof against driving rains. In 
contrast w r ith these, the concrete roof may be made very flat — often 
having only one-quarter of an inch of rise per foot. If desired, the un- 
der side of the roof may be made perfectly flat, and the slope obtained 
by varying the thickness of the slab. The comparatively flat roof makes 




Figure 51. Concrete Block Well House with concrete roof. S. J. 
Forbes, Owner, Marshall, Minnesota. Built by the Marshall Tile 
and Sidewalk Company. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



a saving in materials by reducing the roof area. Concrete gutters may 
easily be formed on the eaves of concrete roofs, adding a desirable fea- 
ture to the roof without the disadvantage of iron gutters, which rust 
out after a few years of service. 

Types of Roofs Suitable for Small Farm Buildings. Flat roofs 
are the most simple to construct. They meet all of the requirements 
of small farm buildings, and at the same time are capable of high archi- 
tectural development and may be built with less concrete and more 
simple form work than concrete roofs of other types. Gable roofs are 
a little more difficult to build than flat roofs, but where desired, these 
may successfully be constructed. Roofs having four sides sloping from 
a ridge or center may be successfully constructed if especial care is 
taken to get sufficient reinforcing metal correctly placed at the ridges. 
Such roofs have a tendency to crack at the corners unless adequately 
reinforced. 

For buildings where the roof span does not exceed 8 feet, the unit 
beam and slab roof described on page 123, in connection with the hog 
shelter house, may be used. Such roofs have very few, if any, advan- 
tages over monolithic roofs, however, except that they may be removed, 
should occasion require. 

Cement asbestos shingles put on wooden framing have been quite 
widely used during the last few years, and these make good, durable 
roofs. Cement asbestos shingles resist fire from without, but because 
of the wood rafters and sheeting, they are not proof against fire from 
within. 

Flat Slab Roofs. Table F shows the thickness of slab required 
for concrete roofs of various dimensions from 4 feet square up to 16 
feet square, and Table G gives the amount of cement, sand and stone 
(screened gravel or limestone) required for roofs of various sizes and 
thicknesses. Table H shows the size and spacing of reinforcing rods. To 



Table F 

THICKNESS OF ROOF SLABS IN INCHES. 



Width in Feet 
Between Center 
Lines of Walls 



4 Ft. 

6 Ft. 

8 Ft. 
10 Ft. 
12 Ft. 
14 Ft. 
16 Ft. 



LENGTH OF ROOF IN FEET BETWEEN CENTER LINES OF WALLS 



4 Ft. 



2 In. 



6 Ft. 



2 In. 

23^ In. 



8 Ft. 



Z l A In. 

23^ In. 
3 In. 



10 Ft. 
23^ In. 

m In. 
sy 2 In. 
sy 2 In. 



12 Ft. 



2^ In. 

3 In. 
3V 2 In. 

4 In. 
4 In. 



14 Ft. 



23^In. 
3 In. 
33^ In. 
4^ In. 
43^ In. 
5 In. 



16 Ft. 



2^ In. 

3 In. 

4 In. 
43^ In. 

5 In. 
53^ In. 

6 In. 



Load = Weight of roof + 50 pounds per square foot. 



60 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



find the thickness of slab, spacing of reinforcing rods, and amount of 
concreting materials and reinforcing metal necessary, proceed as in the 
example given at the bottom of this page. 

TABLE G. 

Cement, Sand and Stone 

Required for Concrete Slab Roofs. Proportions for 
concrete 1:2J^:4. Each cubic yard of l:2j^>:4 concrete 
requires about 1.4 Bbls. of cement, .51 cubic yards of 
sand and .82 cubic yards of stone. 



WIDTH OF SLAB IN FEET (BETWEEN EAVES) 









4 


6 


8 


10 


12 


14 


16 


acks of Cement 
Sack=lCu.Ft.) 


.9 ct> 

8 3 


4 
6 

8 


.55 

.82 
1.39 


1.54 
2.06 


3.29 










S4_ 0J 

° £ 
■ft -a 

d +* 


10 
12 
14 


1.71 
2.06 
2.40 


2.57 
3.70 
4.32 


4.79 
5.76 
6.72 


6.00 

8.20 

10.80 


9.84 
12.92 


16.8 




CO H 


£ & 


16 


2.74 


4.92 


8.76 


12. 32 


16.44 


21.12 


26. 32 


d 


3 £ 


4 
6 


1.35 
2.03 


3.78 












W 


8 


3.44 


5.08 


8.1 










O 


O £ 


10 


4.25 


6.35 


11.9 


14.85 








d 


-d <u 
be -" 
d ■•-> 


12 
14 
16 


5.08 
5.94 

6.77 


9.19 
10.7 
12.2 


14.25 
16.65 
21.75 


20.4 
26.8 
30.6 


24.6 
31.8 

40. 74 


41.6 
52.2 


65.2 


S 


.'a s 
« S 


4 
6 

8 


2.18 
3.26 
5.54 


6.14 

8.18 


13.1 










°o 


£ 


10 


6.80 


10. 20 


19.1 


23.9 








& 


,d <u 


12 


8.18 


14.75 


22.9 


32.7 


39.2 






d 
U 


h-5 £ 


14 
16 


9.58 
10.90 


17.2 
19.7 


26.8 
34.9 


43.0 
49.2 


51.5 

65.8 


67.0 

84.1 


104.75 



Example. Required, the thickness of slab, amount of concreting 
materials, spacing of lateral and transverse reinforcement, and the 
amount of reinforcing rods, for the flat slab roof of a building 12 feet 
by 14 feet in outside dimensions, with 12-inch eaves on all sides. The 
size of the roof slab between the center lines of walls will be 13 feet 6 
inches by 1 1 feet 6 inches. Referring to Table F, we run down the ver- 
tical column at the left to the smaller dimension of the slab, which in 
this case is 11 feet 6 inches. As this dimension is not given in the table 
we take the next larger, which is 12 feet. Running across horizontally 
to the larger dimension of the slab (13 feet 6 inches) we find that this 
is not given in the table, but that we must take 14 feet. In the square 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



61 



directly below 14 feet, and horizontally opposite 12 feet, we find the 
required thickness of the roof to be 43^ inches. By reference to Table 
G the quantities of materials required are easily obtained. The size of 
the roof over the eaves is 14 feet by 16 feet. The table is divided into 
three parts showing respectively the amounts of cement, sand and gravel 
required for roofs of various sizes. The upper portion of the table 
gives the number of sacks of cement required and those below it give 
the number of cubic feet of sand and gravel or stone necessary. By 
referring to the table we find that the roof will require about 21 sacks 
of cement, 52 cubic feet of sand and 84 cubic feet of gravel or stone. 



Table H 

SPACING OF REINFORCING RODS IN INCHES 



Width in Feet 
Between Center 


LENGTH OF ROOF IN FEET 
BETWEEN CENTER LINES OF WALLS 


Lines of Walls 


4 Ft. 


6 Ft. 


8 Ft. 


10 Ft. 


12 Ft. 


14 Ft. 


16 Ft. | 


Size 
Steel 


4 Ft 


12 In. 
12 In. 


9^In. 
24 In. 

6 In. 
6 In. 


8 In. 
36 In. 

4%In. 
12 In. 


8 In. 
36 In. 

4 In. 

36 In. 


8 In. 

36 In. 

4 In. 

36 In. 


8 In. 
36 In. 

4 In. 
36 In. 


8 In. ^ 
36 In. 

4 In. 

36 In. 


CO 

.-a 
a o 

\? . 


6 Ft 




tf 








11 In. 
11 In. 


9^In. 
22 In. 

8^In. 
8%In. 


9 In. 

36 In. 

7^In. 
16 In. 

6^In. 
6V 2 ln. 


7^In. 
36 In. 

7 In. 

27 In. 

5%In. 
12 In. 

5^In. 
5MIn. 


7MIn. 
36 In. 

6^In. 
36 In. 

5i^In. 
16 In. 

4^In. 

8%In. 

4 In. 
4 In. J 




8 Ft 












CO 


10 Ft.. . . 










a 






12 Ft 


NOTE — Upper 

figures are for cross 
reinforcement; 

lower figures for 

long reinforcement 




> 3 




' o 
d 


14 Ft 










16 Ft 



















Load = Weight of roof + 50 pounds per square foot. 



The spacing of the reinforcing rods is shown in Table H. As the 
roof is 11 feet 6 inches by 13 feet 6 inches between center lines of walls, 
the next larger dimension shown in the table should be used. These 
are 12 feet by 14 feet. By running down the left hand vertical column 
to 12 feet, then running across horizontally to the 14 foot column, we 
find that cross reinforcement (running parallel to the short sides of the 
house) should be 5% inches aparc, and the longitudinal rods (running 
the long way of the house), 12 inches apart. Round or square %-inch 
rods should be used as shown in the column to the right of the table. 
The roof being 16 feet long and 14 feet wide, over eaves, will require 
34 3/g-inch rods 14 feet long, parallel to the short sides and 17 3^-inch 
rods 16 feet long parallel to the long side. 



62 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



t^SSs 




UNIVER SAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. <& 

Forms for Slab Roofs. A suitable method of constructing forms 
for flat slab roofs is shown in Figure 52. To insure a smooth ceiling the 
face of the planking next to the concrete should be dressed smoothly 
and tongued and grooved, although good results can be obtained with 
square edged lumber provided the edges are straight and in the same 
plane, so that no cracks will be formed between planks. Whitewash or 
crude petroleum oil applied to the surfaces of the lumber which will be 
in contact with concrete, is recommended, but if not used, these sur- 
faces should be clean and wet at the time of concreting. Clay or putty 
may be used to smooth over small cracks or flaws. 

Two-inch face lumber is recommended but lighter material may be 
used if sufficiently braced. Warped lumber should be avoided, although 
slight bows, lengthwise or crosswise will generally straighten out under 
the weight of the concrete. Lumber showing bowed edges should not 
be used unless the edges are redressed. All sizes shown in Figure 52 
are stock sizes and readily obtainable. Forms can be erected without 
nailing or fastening except where specially directed and shown in the 
illustration; such fastenings should be avoided as they make the forms 
more difficult to remove and mar the timber for further use. 

Erecting the Forms. In erecting forms the first step should be 
to divide the length of the floor beneath the roof by cross lines four 
feet apart. The posts to support the roof should be spaced six feet 
apart along these lines. These may be formed if desired by two 2 x 4's 
spiked together and may rest directly on the floor if the latter is of con- 
crete or other firm material, but the better plan is to place short pieces 
of 8-inch plank under the ends of the posts. These also serve as a base 
for the wedges which are later to be placed under the ends of the posts 
to raise them to the proper level. 

As the posts are raised, they can be braced lightly to the side walls 
and to each other. Posts on the same cross line are then connected at 
the top by 4 x 8-inch boards resting on edge, or two 2 x 8's nailed lightly 
together can be substituted by each 4x8. If these 2 x 8's are of proper 
length no stay bracing will be necessary. A light cleat nailed to the 
sides of the posts and the beams resting on them, will hold the bents 
together. The top of the beams should be about 6 inches below the 
top of the side walls, as the whole form will be trued up later by driving 
wedges under the bottom of t^e posts. 

The stringers should be made of 2 x 4's two or three feet apart de- 
pending on whether one and one-half inch or two-inch face lumber is 
to be used. It is not necessary to spike these to the beams. On top 
of these are laid the face planks. The tops of the latter should be raised 
flush to the top of the side walls by driving wedges under the posts. 
These forms will support the concrete and the weight of the men dur- 
ing construction. Mixing boards or materials should not be placed on 
the roof forms, however, if any bending of the forms occurs after the 
placing of the concrete, nothing can be done to bring these back to 
their original place as any prying against them to line them up after 
they are covered will crack the concrete and spoil the work. If the 
directions given are strictly followed and the lumber is of good quali- 
ty, no bending will occur. 



64 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



The forms should be left in place at least ten days in moderate wea- 
ther or longer at lower temperatures but should not be taken down until 
all doubts have been removed as to whether or not the concrete can sup- 
port the loads to be imposed upon it. In removing the forms the wedges 
may be knocked out between the posts and the bents carefully let down 
1 he lace planks, if not very carefully prepared, may give some trouble 
by sticking and may have to be loosened by slight jarring from a tem- 
porary scaffold. Prying against the concrete should be avoided If 
necessary, hooks or staples can be inserted in the bottoms of the planks 
to which ropes can be attached to pull them down. 

Gable Roofs. (Size of Beam). Simple gable roofs for small con- 
crete buildings need consist only of a ridge beam and two side slabs, of 
remlorced construction; or if the building is less than 8 feet in length 
the ridge beam may be omitted. The following table gives the size of 
ridge beam and reinforcing required for roofs 8 feet to 16 feet in length 
between walls or supports: 



Table I 

SIZES OF RIDGE BEAMS FOR GABLE ROOFS 



Length of Roof 



8 Ft. 



Breadth of 
Beam (b) 
Number of 

Rods 
Spacing of 

Rods 



In. 



6 

2 
2^In 



10 Ft. 



12 Ft. 



14 Ft. 



16 Ft. 



Width of Roof D ^ m ° f |- g 



8 Ft. 
10 Ft. 
12 Ft. 
14 Ft. 
16 Ft. 



93^ In. % In 
103^ In. Y 2 In, 
10^ In. ^In. 
10^ In. 3^ In. 
lOUln. ^In. 



8 In. 



2Mln. 



9 In. 
3 

2% In. 



Depth of Size Depth of Size 
Beam Rods Beam Rods 



10^ In. y 2 In. 
113^ In. Kin. 
12^ In. ^In. 
12^ In. y 8 In. 



In. ^In. 
In. y 8 In. 
In. y% In. 
In. %In. 



12^ In. ^In.ilo^In. % In. 



10 In. 



2^In. 



Depth of Size 
Beam Rods 



13^ In. V 8 In. 

15 In. y 8 In. 

16 In. y 8 In. 

17^ In. %In. 
17^ In. y 8 In. 



10 In. 
4 
2 A In. 



Depth of Size 
Beam Rods 



16 In. y 8 In. 
17^ In. Y 8 In. 
W/ 2 In. %In. 
20^ In. y 8 In. 
22 In. H In. 




The ridge beam may either be cast in place or in a mold box on the 
ground. The latter method insures proper curing of the beam before 
it is subjected to loads, but is objectionable because of the weight of 
the beam and the consequent trouble in raising it into place. If the 
beam is cast in position it can be made in a simple box mold supported 
on the same framing erected to carry the side slabs. Concrete should, 
in this case, be placed for beams and slabs at the same time, casting 
them together as a monolith. 

Size of Slabs. To find the thickness of slab necessary for a gable 
roof from 8 feet square to 16 feet square (between supports) refer to 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 65 

Table F on page 59. Thus, for the roof of a building 10 feet wide by 
12 feet long, with the beam 12 feet in length (running the long way of 
the building) two slabs each 5 feet wide by 12 feet long (between sup- 
ports) will be required. The above table gives the thickness of slab 
required, and Tables G and H give respectively the amount of concret- 
ing materials and reinforcing required. 

Forms for the Eaves. The eaves can be formed by means of a mold 
made of three 2-inch boards joined by 2" x J4" iron angle straps every 
five feet. Two of these boards should be wide enough to form the de- 
sired projection and the other wide enough to confine the concrete to 
the depth desired. The mold can be made of any convenient length, being 
fastened to the adjoining section after erection by light cleats. 

The molds for the eaves may be secured in place in several ways. If 
the side walls are of monolithic construction and the forms still in 
place, steel or wooden brackets can be fastened to the studding for the 
support of the eave mold. In case this scheme is not available, the 
eave mold box can be supported at intervals of four or five feet by "A" 
frames, as shown in Figure 52. Unless waste lumber of some kind is 
available for use in the "A" frames, these need not be used if the mold 
box can be supported conveniently by the forms or staging. 

Placing the Reinforcing. The required number of reinforcing 
rods, their size and spacing, having been obtained from Table H, these 
rods may be ordered from the local dealer or blacksmith. The spac- 
ing of the rods should be marked off on the forms, and the rods then 
laid down and wired together at all intersections. The reinforcing 
should then be placed upon small wooden or concrete blocks in such a 
manner that the rods will be imbedded about one inch above the bot- 
tom of the roof. It is very important that the rods should not come 
closer than one inch to the bottom surface of the roof; and, on the 
other hand, the effectiveness of the reinforcing is reduced greatly if they 
are placed any higher. 

Reinforcing in Gable Roofs. The slab reinforcing rods running 
at right angles with the ridge should extend from eave to eave continu- 
ously, that is, not being broken off at the ridge. This binds the two 
sides of the roof together as one slab. The reinforcing should be brought 
out for the eaves in the same manner as for simple slab roofs. 

Mixing and Placing the Concrete. It should be remembered 
that a concrete roof is intended to be a permanent roof, and that all 
work should be done in the best possible manner. There is often a ten- 
dency in the mixing and placing of concrete to be careless or "slipshod" 
but nothing short of the best workmanship and materials should go in- 
to the construction of the concrete roof. 

Concrete for the roof should be mixed in the proportion of 1 sack 
of cement to 23^ cubic feet of clean, coarse sand to 4 cubic feet of screened 
gravel or crushed stone. Great care should be taken to see that the 
sand and stone used are free from clay, loam, decayed rock, or other 
weak or injurious matter. It is not good practice to use bank run gravel; 
much better results can be obtained with a saving of cement by screen- 
ing out all material less than J^-inch in size to be used as sand, retain- 
ing the larger materials to be used as gravel proper. If bank run gravel 



66 SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 

is used, the proportion should be no leaner than 1 sack of cement to 4 
cubic feet of gravel. Where crushed stone is more easily obtained 
than sand and gravel, this material may be substituted, care being taken, 
however, to screen out all excessively fine particles and dust. 

The concrete should be mixed thoroughly. Place the cement and 
sand (or other small aggregate) on the mixing board and turn together 
until the mass is uniform in color. Then add the large gravel or stone 
and add the water. Turn the mixture at least 'three times, after adding 
the stone, using additional water as required. The concrete should be 
mixed wet enough to be quaky, but not so wet that the water in the 
mass will flow to the lower side of the roof. 

Where a comparatively flat concrete roof is to be put on a building 
with monolithic walls, the walls may be brought up to the proper height 
and squared off in the same manner as for a wooden roof, and no rein- 
forcing rods need extend from the walls up into the roof. The con- 
crete for the roof may be laid directly on the top surfaces of the walls 
without grouting. This leaves a break or parting between the roof and 
the walls, which allows the former to expand and contract freely with 
change of temperature. 

If the roof is to have a pitch steeper than 2 inches to the foot, it is 
advisable to join it to the walls. This is necessary to prevent slipping 
or traveling of the roof. Where the walls and roof are to be joined 
together rigidly, the vertical reinforcing should protrude about a foot 
above the top of the walls. The top surface of the walls should be left 
rough, and should be drenched with water, and then painted with a 
grout immediately before the concrete for the roof is placed. 

The same equipment used to convey and raise the concrete in the 
walls can generally be used for the roof. With the reinforcing metal 
placed in position, as previously mentioned, enough mortar should be 
placed on the floor of the forms to work under the reinforcing. The 
blocks used to hold the rods up off the forms may then be withdrawn, 
and the spaces occupied by them filled up. Concreting must not be 
stopped until the entire thickness of the roof, including the surfacing, 
has been put on. Small concrete slab roofs should be concreted en- 
tirely at one operation, that is, without stopping work at any time for 
more than twenty minutes. Larger roofs may be laid in sections, as 
mentioned on page 140, discontinuing and resuming of the work as di- 
rected there. 

Finishing the Roof. The roof should be finished off in the same 
manner as a floor or a sidewalk, using for this work the tools shown in 
Figure 20. If the concrete, mixed in the proportion of 1 sack of cement 
to 23^2 cubic feet of sand to 4 cubic feet of small stone does not give a 
sufficiently smooth surface when trowelled, a small quantity of mortar 
may be added to the top. The roof need not be squared off into panels. 

Protection Against Weather. One of the most important points 
in successfully constructing concrete roofs is to protect them from the 
time they are laid until they have hardened sufficiently, and acquired 
ample strength to withstand the action of sun, wind, rain and freezing. 
This may be done conveniently by covering the roof with wet straw, 
weighted down to keep it in place. The straw should be kept wet, and 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



67 



not removed from the roof for at least two weeks. Precautions in this 
regard are necessary to insure against possible checks or cracks caused 
by premature exposure to sun or wind, and also prevent freezing, with 
consequent loss of strength. 





** 



Figure 53. 



Monolithic Ice House and Dairy of C. H. Zehnder, 
Allenhurst, N. J. 




Figure 54. Concrete Block Cattle Shed on farm of N. Hampe, 

Rock Rapids, Iowa. Dimensions 30 feet by 

40 feet. Cost, $300. 



68 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




Figure 55. CONCRETE DAIRY HOUSES. 

(1) J. M. Thalin, McHenry, Illinois. Built by owner. 

(2) C. S. McNett, Cary, Illinois. Built by owner. 

(3) Beech Farm Dairy, Coldwater, Michigan. R. C. Angevine, Contractor. 

(4) Wm. Fareman, Burlington, Wisconsin. Built by owner. 

(5) Merestead Farm. Built by owner. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



PART II. 



Dairy Buildings 

rPHE dairy is the department of the farm where absolute cleanliness is 
•*■ demanded. The first great requirement of a dairy building is that 
it be scrupulously clean. There should be no decaying wood construc- 
tion to serve as a breeding place for germs, and no cracks or crevices in 
the floor or walls to collect dirt and make proper cleaning difficult or 
impossible. 

The rules and regulations of the New York Board of Health pre- 
scribes, among other things, that (1) Milk houses must be kept clean 
and used for no other purpose than the handling of milk. (2) They 
shall be provided with sufficient light and ventilation, with floors proper- 
ly graded and water- 
tight. (3) They shall 
be provided with ad- 
justable sashes to fur- 
nish sufficient light, 
and some proper 
method of ventilation 
must be installed. 

(4) Milk houses should 
be provided with am- 
ple supply of clean 
water for cooling the 
milk, but if it is not 
a running supply the 
water should be 
changed twice daily. 

(5) Milk houses must 
be screened properly 
to exclude flies. 

The health officials 

of Chicago as Well as Figure 56. Concrete Block Milk House of Mrs. Godfrey Anderson, 

those of numerous 

other large centers of population, now require farmers shipping milk into 
the city to provide their milk houses with concrete floors, and the trend 
in all of the great dairying communities of the country is clearly toward 
all-concrete construction for such buildings. Beside the advantage of 
cleanliness, the concrete dairy house adds greatly to the general con- 
venience of handling the milk and keeping it cool, and, when properly 
put up, constitutes the most permanent form of construction possible. 
It is free from the necessity of frequent painting and repairs, and this 
item alone is quite important. The difference in cost between wooden 
and concrete dairy buildings is insignificant in most cases, and several 
instances have been found where concrete was actually cheaper than 
wood. 




70 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



71 



Location of Dairy Buildings. The milk house or other dairy 
building should be located conveniently with respect to the dairy barn. 
Dairy houses frequently adjoin the barn, or are built under an approach 
to the second floor. If this be done, the milk house must have no direct 
connection with the barn, and must be separated by a solid wall, with- 
out doors. Many authorities maintain that the milk house should be 
built entirely separate from the barn and at some distance; while 
not considered necessary in all cases, it is undoubtedly a good pre- 
cautionary measure. 

It is best to locate the milk house on elevated ground, and to comply 
with health department regulations in sections of the country subject 
to inspection, that no hog-pen, manure pile or other unsanitary object shall 
be closer than 100 feet. After considering the location with regard to 
the sanitary requirements, the site selected should be as near as con- 
venient to the milking floor, so that the distance the milk has to be 
carried will be made as short as possible. In Circular No. 143 by the 
Illinois Experiment 
Station, Professor W. 
J. Fraser says: 

"People do not stop to 
consider the amount of 
time that might be saved 
if a little more intelligence 
were exercised in tasks 
done two or three times 
each day. To illustrate 
this, take the matter of 
having the milk room in- 
conveniently located. 
If the milker carries the 
milk of each cow 50 feet 
farther than need be, that 
means three rods and back 
■ each milking, or twelve 
rods per cow each day. 
If a man milks 12 cows it 
causes the extra labor of 
carrying a pail of milk 72 
rods and earning back 
the empty pail each day." 

A location to the 
north of the barn is 
preferable, as it keeps off the warm rays of the sun. Where an approach 
to the second floor of the barn is to be built, there are a number of 
advantages in locating the dairy room under this approach. By so do- 
ing, the walls of the approach are made to serve a double purpose, the 
heavy roof over the dairy room keeps it cool, and the location is convenient. 




Figure 57. Concrete Block Milk House of Theodore Alby, 
Rochester, Wisconsin. J. A. Kilpatrick, Contractor. Dim- 
mensions, 12 feet by 10 feet. Cost, $125. 



A Reinforced Monolithic Milk House with 
Water Supply Tank 

TTHE reinforced monolithic milk house shown in Figure 58, will be 

found well suited to the needs of the average small dairy farm. The 

building is 10 feet 8 inches by 8 feet in outside dimensions and slightly 

more than 12 feet in height from the ground line to the top of the roof. 



72 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



It is provided with a water supply tank with a capacity of 23 barrels or 
725 gallons, and a cooling tank of sufficient size to accommodate ten 
14-inch milk cans. In case the owner has a more desirable location for 
the supply tank or for any reason he does not wish to place a supply 
tank on the structure, the roof may be built directly above the milk 
room, omitting the tank. 

The foundation may be placed without forms if the ground is firm 
enough to stand up around the excavation, which should be 3 feet or 
more in depth and 12 to 16 inches in width. If the ground is of such a 
character that forms must be used, the type of foundation shown in 
the illustration will be the most economical to put in. In this case, the 
footing (16 inches wide and 8 inches in depth) may be put down without 
forms. The wall forms may then be placed directly upon the footing, 
continuing the foundation up to the surface with the same width as 
that of the wall above ground, or allowing it to bulge to the width of 
the footing by tilting the forms. 

The work of build- 
ing the walls and roof 
may be accomplished 
in accordance with the 
suggestions for such 
construction given in 
Part I. of this vol- 
ume. The method of 
placing and the proper 
spacing of wall rein- 
forcing around open- 
ings and at corners is 
shown in Figures 35, 
36, 37 and 38. The 
door and window 
openings are made by 
placing temporary 
wooden frames within 
the forms at the pro- 
per positions. The sill 
and lintel projections 
around the opening 
may be formed by 
small box-like addi- 
tions built or clamped 
into the wall forms as 
shown in the design 
of a Monolithic hog 
house, Figure 121, 
page 139. The vertical reinforcing should extend up about 20 inches 
above the bottom of the tank floor. 

Forms for the floor of the supply tank may be put up as shown in 
Figure 52, or if preferred the tank floor forms can be supported upon 
the wall forms if the latter are built substantial enough to take the weight 
of the concrete placed in the tank floor as well as that of the forms. The 




Figure 59. Monolithic Milk House of John Rhinehardt, Elgin, Illi" 
nois. The walls are marked off in imitation of concrete blocks- 
Dimensions, 10 feet square by 8 feet in height. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



73 



floor reinforcing should consist of J^-inch round or square rods spaced 
at intervals of 6 inches across the short dimension of the structure (shown 
in Section B-B Figure 58) and at intervals of 18 inches parallel to the 
long dimension of the structure (shown in section A- A Figure 58). 
The ends of these reinforcing rods should be brought around the wall 
reinforcing and bent back into the floor of the tank to develop maximum 
strength. The reinforcing should be placed an inch above the bottom 
of the floor, with ends bent back above the reinforcing, as shown 

After the forms for the floor are in place the reinforcing rods should 
be laid down and wired 'together. One inch of concrete (of a quaky 
consistency) should then be placed within the forms and the reinforc- 
ing raised up so as to rest on the one-inch layer of concrete. Before 
this concrete has had a chance to harden, three inches more concrete 
should be put down and leveled off, and the reinforcing for the wall of 
the tank then placed. 

The tank wall reinforcing should consist of J^-inch rods bent 

in such a manner that 
15 inches of their 
length will be imbed- 
ded in the floor. 
These rods are placed 
6 inches apart, center 
to center, all around 
the tank, each alter- 
nate rod being 5 feet 
long so as to extend 
to the top of the tank 
wall, with the inter- 
mediate rods 32 inches 
long, which allows 
them to extend up 
about 15 inches above 
the floor slab. The 
reinforcing rods 
should be bent ready 
for use before the work 
is begun, and should 
be placed and wired 
as rapidly as possible 
so that concreting 
may be resumed im- 
mediately. Two inches 
of additional concrete 
will bring the floor slab 
to the required thick- 
ness, which is 6 inches. 
The outside wall form will serve as the outer form for the tank wall, 
and the inner wall form may be used as the inner form of the tank. 
In order to insure against damage from freezing, the inner walls of the 
tank must have a slight batter, making them 8 inches thick at the tank 
floor tapering to a thickness of 6 inches at the roof. If the inner walls 




Figure 60. Concrete Dairy House and Water Tank of Joseph E. 
Wing, Mechanicsburg. Ohio, showing the flat slab concrete roof 
with ornamental cornice. 



74 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



are made smooth and the work done as here directed, this batter should 
be sufficient to withstand any ice pressure which may come upon the 
tank. The forms used for building the floor of the tank may be used 
for the roof, provided a sufficient length of time has elapsed so that 
they may be safely removed. The forms should be allowed to remain 
in place until there are no doubts as to whether or not the floor has 
acquired sufficient strength to withstand the loads imposed upon it. 
Even under the most favorable circumstances the forms should remain 
in place five or six days, but under unfavorable conditions two weeks 
or longer may be required. 

General directions for placing the reinforcing and building the eaves 
and other general operations about the roof will be found in the chapter 
on roofs, page 58. A scuttle hole 2 feet square should be left in the 
roof as shown in Figure 58. In putting up the roof forms and inner 
tank wall forms it must be remembered that these will have to be taken 
out through the scuttle hole. For this reason it would probably be 
advisable to use short lengths of lumber for this work as it may have 
to be damaged in removing from the tank. For this work only the use 
of lumber of uniform thickness is advisable. 

The intake and outlet pipes for the water supply tank should be 
put up before the tank floor is concreted, drilling holes through the 
forms to accommodate the pipes. This method is the only satisfactory 
way of placing the pipes without danger of leaks. 

Proportions (See page 157). Footings, foundation walls and floor 
base, Specification D. Wall from ground to bottom of tank, and tank 
roof, Specification B. Walls and floor of tank, Specification A. 




Figure 61. Concrete Block Milk House with ice room and water tank, on farm of M. D. 
Campbell, Coldwater, Michigan. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



75 



Table of Concreting Materials 



Footings 

Foundation Walls 

Wall from Tank bottom 

to ground 

Floor 

Tank Floor 

Tank Walls 

Roof 



VOL 


Cu. Yds 


1 


15 


2 


00 


6 


22 





55 


1 


15 


2 


62 


1 


27 



MIXTURE 



1:23^:5 
1:23^:5 

1:2:4 

1:2^:5(1:2) 

1:2:3 

1:2:3 

1:2:4 



CEMENT 
Bbls. Sacks 



1.43 
2.48 

9.40 
.96 
1.90 
4.56 
1.93 



5.72 
9.92 

37.60 
3.74 

7.60 
18.24 

7.72 



SAND 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft 



.51 
.92 

2.80 
0.20 

.60 
1.36 

.57 



13.8 
24.7 

75.5 
5.4 
16.2 
36.7 
15.4 



STONE 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



1.02 


27.5 


1.84 


49.5 


5.55 


150.0 


.38 


10.5 


.88 


23.8 


2.02 


54.5 


1.13 


30.6 



Total 22. 66 Bbls. .4. '96 Cu.Yds. 12. 



Cu. Yds. 



Approximate amount of Reinforcing Metal required: 

800 feet of J^-inch round rods Weight 533 Lbs. 

460 feet of ^-inch round rods Weight 173 Lbs. 

Total 706 Lbs. 

The table of concreting materials will be found accurate to within 10 per cent. In 
computing the amount of reinforcing metal no allowance was made for scrap or lapping* 
which will require about 10 per cent more material than the quantity stated. 




Figure 62. A splendid monolithic concrete dairy house built by Edward Kuharske, on his farm 
near Rockford, Illinois. This building contains two commodious milk and separator rooms as well 
as a shelter for wagons. The shelter is on the north side of the house, and prevents the sun from 
reaching the south walls of the dairy rooms. 



76 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



1 ® 






— ■ r ■■■ ■ ■"":■:"" *.:"-' 



Figure 63. MONOLITHIC MILK AND ICE HOUSE. 
Julius Clausing, Grafton, Wisconsin. 

(1) Incomplete structure with forms on the walls of the ice room in position for last filling. 

(2) Building completed. The walls are 6 inches thick. All the work was done by the owner. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



77 



Reinforced Concrete Milk House with Ice Room 

A N ice room is often a great convenience in connection with the 
'^ milk house, giving easy access to the ice for use in the cooling tank. 
Figure 65 shows a house with a large milk room and an ice storage room 
of ample capacity. The inside dimensions of the milk room are 9 feet 
4 inches by 11 feet 8 inches, in which is located a cooling tank with 
space for 18 14-inch milk cans. The ice room is 10 feet square in inside 
dimensions, and has a height of 8 feet in the clear, giving it a capacity 
of 15 tons of ice. Allowing for shrinkage and waste, this should leave 
a sufficient quantity so that about 115 pounds per day will be available 
for four months. 

The walls of the ice room should be made double, or a wall of veneer 
blocks may be constructed inside of a single monolithic wall, thus providing 
a free air space in either case. Double doors are provided for the ice 
room, and sawdust or some other good insulating material should be 
packed between doors. These doors should be lined with felt or other 
packing which will make them air-tight. The door to the ice room 
should be made in two or three sections so that in removing ice from the 
top only the first section need be opened, thus protecting the ice from 
an inrush of warm air. The milk room is provided with two doors, 
the one near the ice room door being used exclusively for bringing in 
the ice and the other door being used for the handling of the milk cans. 




Figure 64. Concrete Block Milk and Ice House of J. A. Johnson, Libertyville, Illinois. The milk 
house is placed to the north of the barn, the shadows of which prevent the sun's rays from reaching 
the walls of the ice room except for a short time each day. 



78 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



Directions for building the monolithic walls, floors and roof will be 
found in Part 1 of this book. The ventilators provided in the roof are 
an important feature which should not be overlooked. Plenty of pure 
air is needed in the milk room to keep the milk pure and free from con- 
tamination. The ventilation in the ice room prevents the accumulation 
of warm air above the ice. 

For best results, the floor of the ice room should be double with a 
layer of cinders or other insulating material between. The space be- 
tween foundations should be excavated until a depth of about 16 inches 
is reached. Four inches of gravel should then be put down as a sub- 
base for the floor and leveled off. A four-inch floor should next be put 
down and leveled off without giving it any surface finish. After 
placing 4 inches of cinders on top of this floor another slab similar 
to the first should be laid upon the cinders. As a precaution against 
possible cracking, the upper slab should be reinforced with a light 
fabric. Style No. 29, American Steel & Wire Company's Triangle 
Mesh, or some similar material, is suitable for this purpose. About 
two inches of concrete for the floor should be placed and leveled off, 
and the metal fabric then laid down. Concreting should immediately 
be resumed to insure a good bond between the concrete below and 
above the fabric. 

The surface of the floor will not require a mortar top, but should be 
troweled off with a wooden trowel, using a small amount of mortar if 
necessary to make the surface sufficiently smooth. The surface should 
be given a slight slope — not over 3^8-inch to the foot — toward a central 
drain. Details of a suitable drain outlet are described on page 94, and 
shown in Figure 76, in connection with the concrete block ice house 
design. The milk room tank and floor should be put in the same as 
those previously described. 

Proportions (See page 157). 

Foundation and base of dairy room floor, Specification D. 

Floor of Ice Room, Specification C. 

Walls, roof beam and slab, cooling tank, Specification B. 

Surface coating dairy room floor, 1:2 cement and sand mortar. 



Table of Materials 



Foundation 

Ice Room Floor 

Dairy Room \ Base. . . 
Floor } Surface. 

Walls 

Roof Beam 

Roof Slab 



9.03 
2.48 
1.11 
0.22 
12.52 
0.30 
3.03 
Cooling Tank I 1.26 



VOL 
Cu. Yds 



MIX- 
TURE 



1:2^:5 

1:2^:4 

1:2^:5 

1:2 

1:2:4 

1:2:4 

1:2:4 

1:2:4 



CEMENT 
Bbls. Sacks 



11.94 
3.45 
1.38 
0.71 

18.91 
0.45 
4.58 
1.90 



47.76 
13.80 

5.52 

2.84 
75.64 

1.80 
18.32 

7.60 



SAND 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



4.43 
1.26 
0.51 
0.21 
5.63 
0.14 
1.36 
0.57 



119.6 

34.0 

13.8 

5.6 

152.0 

3.8 

36.8 

15.4 



STONE 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



8.86 
2.03 
1.02 



11.26 

0.28 
2.72 
1.14 



238.8 
54.8 
27.6 



304.2 

7.6 

73.5 

30.8 



Total 43. 32 Bbls. 14. 11 Cu.Yds. 27. 31 Cu. Yds. 



Reinforcing Metal required: 

775 feet of %-inch round rods. 
150 feet of 34-inch round rods. 

Total 



Weight 290 Lbs. 
Weight 25 Lbs. 

315 Lbs. 



80 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



81 



Concrete Block Dairy House with Cold Room 



A DESIGN and detail for a concrete block dairy and ice house of 
■"■ moderate size is shown in Figure 66. The diary room contains 
two tanks, one directly above the other. The elevated tank receives 
the water direct from the well and overflows through the outlet pipe 
into the milk cooling tank directly below. The dairy room has 
a clear space 11 feet 4 inches by 7 feet 4 inches, making plenty of room 
for the separator, butter worker and work table. Three windows % 
feet 8 inches wide by 2 feet 8 inches long admit ample light. 

The refrigerator or cooling compartment opens off the dairy room 
and is surrounded by the ice room. This compartment is 6 feet long 
by 5 feet 4 inches wide and 6 feet high, giving plenty of room for the 
storage of milk, but- 
ter, cheese, eggs and 
other farm products. 
The design of the ice 
room and cooling com- 
partment has been 
worked out with the 
idea of obtaining the 
maximum cooling sur- 
face with the expendi- 
ture of the smallest 
amount of ice. This 
has been accomplish- 
ed by placing the cool- 
ing compartment 
within the ice room so 
that four sides of the 
former will be sur- 

, , . $, ' i Figure 67. Monolithic Milk House of Charles S. McNett, Cary, 

trie ICe meltS arOUIia HI. One of a dozen concrete structures on Mr. McNett's Farm. 

the walls of the cool- 
ing compartment more ice can be packed in close to the wall to take 
the place of that melted. This arrangement of the cooling compart- 
ment partially overcomes the necessity of carrying ice into the dairy 
room. 

The foundations for this building should be put in as directed in a 
previous section. The walls of the building are to be made of concrete 
blocks, the design being worked out for standard size (8x8x1 6-inch 
block) to be laid up as directed on page 46. The partition wall between 
the ice house and the dairy room should also be made of concrete blocks. 
The cooling compartment should be made monolithic rather than of 
hollow blocks as the monolithic wall makes a much better conductor 
of heat and cold than the block wall. The walls of the cooling room 
should be reinforced according to the directions given on pages 39 to 
44 as shown in Figures 35 to 38. 




82 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



The roof of the cooling or refrigerator compartment should consist 
of a flat slab 4 inches thick cast in position and reinforced with ^-inch 
round rods spaced 5 inches apart, crosswise of the compartment, and 18 
inches apart in the other direction. A 6 x 6-inch column to support the 
roof beam above must rest upon the slab as shown and the column re- 
inforcing, consisting of four 3^-inch rods, should be imbedded in a slab 
at the time of concreting. The column should next be put in, using a 
common box mold similar to that shown in the root cellar design Figure 
131. The reinforcing rods should extend up about a foot above the 
top of the column, so that they may be anchored into the beam above. 
The roof of the house is of double construction made of a level and 
a pitched monolithic section supported on the walls of the building, the 
partitions between the milk room and the ice room, and a concrete 
beam 6 inches in width and 9 inches in depth across the ice room wall 

parallel to the parti- 
j:i; y tion. A concrete ridge 

beam 6 inches in width 
and 13 inches deep 
supports the upper 
slab and gives it the 
desired pitch. After 
the walls of the build- 
ing are run up to the 
desired height the 
forms should be plac- 
ed in position for the 
6x9 roof beam, the flat 
section of the roof, the 
ridge beam and the 
end partition between 
the level and the pitch- 
ed sections of the roof. 
The level roof slab 
should be made 3 
inches thick and rein- 
forced with ^-inch round rods 7 inches apart, center to center, the long 
way of the structure and 18 inches apart, center to center, the short 
way of the structure, placed one inch above the bottom of the slab. The 
beam below the slab should be reinforced with three %- inch round 
rods placed as shown in sections A-A and B-B, Figure 66. The ridge 
beam should be reinforced with three %- inch rods as shown. 

The level section of the roof, the 6 // x9" beam below it, the end 
partitions between the level and the pitched sections, and the ridge 
beam are then concreted. The roof beam mold should be removed 
as soon as possible without injury to the beam. The forms supporting 
the roof slab and the beam below it should not be removed immediately 
however, but left in position until after the top roof slab has been con- 
creted and all parts of the roof have acquired strength enough to support 
the loads imposed upon them. The upper roof slab should be concreted 
as soon as the level slab has been completed and the spaces between 
the level and pitched sections are filled up with cinders or some other 




Monolithic Milk House and Water Tank on top. M. G. Clark 
Owner, Coldwater, Michigan. R. C. Angevine, Contractor. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



83 



insulating material. For general information on the subject of roofs 
see pages 58 to 67. 

The door opening between the milk room and the cooling compart- 
ment is 3 feet wide x 6 feet high and should be built with double walls 
forming a space which may be 
'filled with shavings, sawdust, ' 
ground cork or some other 
good insulator if desired. The 
door opening into the dairy 
room from the outside is 4 feet 
wide and 6 feet 8 inches high. 
The ice room door is 2 feet 
8 inches wide and extends the 
entire height of the building. 
It is built in several sections 
so that it is not necessary to 
open up the whole doorway 
thus exposing the ice to the 
warm air from without. 

The lintels and window 
sills may be cast in a home made mold similar to that shown in Figure 
40, page 45, or may be purchased from a local concrete block manu- 
facturer. The cooling tank in the milk room should be constructed in 
accordance with directions given on page 88 and the concrete floors laid. 

Table of Concreting Materials 




Figure 68. An Extensive All-Concrete Dairy Plant on 
the Gedney Farms, White Plains, New York. 



Floor 



Walls (Block) 



Foundation 

Base 

Surface 

Body. . 

Facing. 
Walls of Cold Room . . 
Roof of Cold Room. . . . 

Roof Beams 

Roof Slabs 

Supply Tank 

Sills 



VOL 

Cu.Yds 



6.65 

1.77 
.36 



i.92 
.82 
.63 
► .00 
!.10 
.62 



MIX- 
TURE 



1:2^ 

1:2^ 

1:2 

1:2:4 

1:2 

1:2:4 

1:2:4 

1:2:4 

1:2:4 

1:2:3 

1:2:3 



CEMENT 
Bbls. Sacks 



8.25 
2.19 
1.16 

24.50 
4.80 
2.90 
1.24 
2.47 

13.60 

5.40 

.94 



33.00 

8.76 

4.64 

97.80 

19.10 

11.60 

4.96 

9.88 

54.40 

21.60 

3.76 



SAND 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



3.06 

.81 

.34 

7.34 

1.41 

0.87 

.37 

.74 

4.04 

1.62 

.28 



83. 00 

21.80 

9.20 

189.00 
38.20 
23.50 
10.06 
20.00 

190.80 
43.80 
75.80 



STONE 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



6.12 
1.62 



14.45 



1.71 
.73 
1.46 
8.00 
2.39 
.55 



165.00 
43.8 



391.00 



46.20 
19.80 
39.50 
216.00 
64.80 
14.90 



Total 67.45 Bbls.. .20. 98Cu.Yds. 37.03Cu.Yds. 

The outside walls of the building require 931 standard 8"x8"x 16" concrete blocks, and 
the partition between the milk and ice rooms 179 blocks. If these blocks are purchased from 
a block manufacturer the quantities of materials given for the blocks should be deducted 
from the total. One cubic yard of 1 :2 cement and sand mortar will be required in laying up 
the blocks. This mortar will require about 13 sacks of cement and 26 cubic feet of sand. 
Total amount of materials necessary, including amount required for manufacture of blocks 
and for mortar, 71 bbls. cement, 22 cubic yards of sand, 37 cubic yards of stone. If the 
blocks are purchased from a block manufacturer, 383^ bbls. of cement, 1434 cubic yards of 
sand and 223^ cubic yards of stone will be required. 

Approximate amount of Reinforcing Metal required: 

3900 feet 34-inch round rods Weight 830 Lbs. 

290 feet 3^-inch round rods Weight 250 Lbs. 

160 feet ^-inch round rods Weight 45 Lbs. 

Total 1125 Lbs. 



84 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



Proportions (See page 157). Foundations and floor base, Specification 
D. Concrete Block backing, walls and roof of cold room, roof beams and 
slabs, Specification B. Supply tank, sills and lintels, Specification A. 



Small Reinforced Concrete Milk House with 
Loading Platform 

^^THERE it is convenient to have a platform from which to load 
* * or unload milk cans the design shown in Figure 69, will give sat- 
isfaction. The milk house is 10 feet 8 inches by 8 feet 8 inches inside 
dimensions. Should it be desired, the walls may be conveniently built 
of concrete block, as the standard size (8"x8"x 16") concrete block will 
conform nicely to these dimensions. The platform is on the side of the 
house opposite the cooling tank and double doors are here provided. 
The door for ordinary use is at the end of the house and is reached by 
four concrete steps. The tank will accommodate fourteen 14-inch milk 
cans, being 2 feet 6 inches in width, and 9 feet in length. If concrete 
blocks 8 inches thick are used, the inside dimensions of the building as 
well as those of the tank will be changed somewhat to conform. 

The foundation and walls may be built in accordance with the sug- 
gestions previously given for such work. The loading platform should 




Figure 69. Reinforced Concrete Milk House 
with Loading Platform, Plan and Eleva- 
tions. 



PLAN 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



8.5 



extend out about 16 inches beyond the outside of the wall, and should 
be about 8 inches thick where it joins the wall, tapering to a thickness of 
3 inches at the outer edge. The forms for the platform may be con- 
structed easily of planks and hardly need detailed explanation. The 
reinforcing for the platform should consist of twelve ^-inch rods placed 
6 inches apart, center to center, at right angles with the direction of the 
wall and three ^g-inch rods parallel to the wall, placed as shown in the 
section diagram Figure 70, one rod being placed close to the edge of 
the platform and the other two in the wall as shown. The rods for the 
reinforcing at right angles with the wall should be 30 inches in length, 
so that they may be imbedded in the wall about 10 inches below the 
level of the platform. They should be brought up around the inside hori- 
zontal wall reinforcing rod, and then bent down to a horizontal position so 
as to extend to the edge of 

Even/ otter rod \ t , ^ i t i J 



the platform. The horizon 
tal portion of these rods 
should be placed an inch be- 
low the surface of the plat- 
form. If placed at a greater 
depth, the efficiency of the 
reinforcing will be de- 
creased. 

As a precaution against 
possible settling, the tank 
should rest on a concrete 
foundation. For this pur- 
pose lean concrete (Speci- 
fication E, page 157), will 
suffice. This foundation 
should be high enough to 
bring the tank to the desired 
level, as indicated by the 
dimensions in the drawing. 

The tank and floor 
should be constructed sep- 
arately, after the walls are 
completed. Care should be 



3J> ffoof j/a 



J"xJ"x£ /fnjJej 




Figure 70. Reinforced Concrete Milk House 
Platform — Sectional View. 



m 

with Loading 



taken before laying the floor to have the 



Table of Concreting Materials 



Foundation 

Floor and \ Surface. 

Platform / Base 

Walls 

Tank 

Steps 

Roof 



CONCRETE 

Cu. Yds Mixture 



2.04 
0.17 
0.82 
5.45 
0.97 
0.30 
3.00 



1:2^:5 

1:2 

1:23^:5 

1:2:4 

1:2:3 

1:2^:5 

1:2:4 



CEMENT 
Bbls. Sacks 



2.62 
0.51 
1.09 
8.55 
1.65 
0.39 
4.55 



10.48 
2.04 
4.36 

34.20 
6.60 
1.56 

18.20 



SAND 

Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



0.92 
0.15 
0.37 
2.40 
0.50 
0.14 
1.36 



24.80 
4.10 
10.00 
64.80 
13.60 
3.64 
36.70 



GRAVEL 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



1.86 



0.75 
4.80 
0.75 
0.27 
2.68 



50.00 



20.20 

129.60 

20.20 

7.40 

72. 



Total 12.75 Cu. Yds.. .19. 36 Bbls. 5.84 Cu.Yds. 11.11 Cu.Yds. 

Approximate amount of Reinforcing required: 

400 pounds of ^-inch round rod. 
(Order about 10 per cent extra to allow for waste in cutting.) 



So 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



cinder or gravel fill beneath it well compacted, and a small amount of 
water may be used, if necessary, to aid this operation. 

Full directions for building the concrete roof will be found on pages 
58 to 67. 

Proportions (See page 157). 

Foundation, body of floor and platform and steps, Specification D. 

Walls and roof, Specification B. 

Tank floor and walls, Specification A. 

Surface coat for floor, platform and steps, 1 :2 cement and sand mortar. 



Concrete Block Milk House 

TTHE concrete block milk house, shown in Figure 72, is designed to 
-*- meet the conditions where a small house is desired, equipped with 
cooling tank, but without water supply tank or ice room. This structure 
is 10 feet 8 inches by 8 feet 8 inches in outside dimensions, and is made of 
standard 8 x 8 x 16-inch concrete block. The cooling tank is 2 feet 6 
inches by 8 feet 8 inches in inside dimensions, and has a capacity of 
fourteen 14-inch cans. 

The roof shown has a wooden frame, although a concrete roof built 
as directed on pages 58 to 67 would be preferable, the wood roof only 
being shown to illustrate the method of plastering the walls and ceiling. 
The wooden roof frame is covered with cement shingles or ready roofing, 
the former being superior to the latter because of their permanence and 
fire-resisting properties. 

The inside walls of the building should be finished up smooth, pre- 
ferably plastered. Metallic lath should be attached to the under side 
of the roof and the ceiling plastered up. The surface of the plaster 
should be made smooth, and all corners round, so that it may easily be 




Figure 71. Dairy House of Wm. Stoll, Lansing, Michigan. 
Built of home made blocks made in a mold of Mr. Stoll's own 
manufacture. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



87 



washed down and kept free from accumulating dirt. The cement 
plaster for use in interior work should consist of one part cement, 
13^2 or 2 parts sand, with a possible addition of a small amount of thor- 
oughly slacked lime, which will make the plaster easier to put on. The 
amount of lime added to the plaster should not exceed 5% of the whole. 
(See general directions on page 52). Directions for casting the window 
sills will be found on page 45. 

Proportions (See page 157). 

Footings, and body of platform and floor, Specification D. 

Concrete block backing, Specification B. 

Tank floor and walls, sides and lintels, Specification A. 




<c^ 













^Ready Ro 


ohng. 




*\ 






1 












1 

L_ 






' I 




















1 














1 r 


1 












1 1 


1 


r 




Standard 
'Concrete Blocks 


1 1 




1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I 






1 1 1 1 1 I 1 






1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 




( 


1 1 1 1 1 1 1 




1 '. 


1 


1 


1 I 


1 


| | 





End Elevahon- 




Figure 72. Small Concrete Block Milk House. 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



Table of Concreting Materials 



Footings 

Walls (Block)*. 



Mortar 

Sills 

Platform j f^e. 

"« I Surface. 
Tank 



Cu. Yds. of 
Concrete 



3. 3 
270 Blks. 



25 
06 
30 
04 
58 
12 
15 



MIX- 
TURE 



23^:5 

2:4 

2 

2 

2:3 

2^:5 

2 

2^:5 

2 

2:3 



CEMENT 
Bbls. Sacks 



4.10 

5.93 

1.43 

16.90 

.09 

.37 

.13 

.72 

.38 

2.00 



16.40 

23.72 

5.72 

67.60 

.36 

1.48 

.52 

2.88 

1.52 

8.00 



SAND 

Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



1.52 
1.78 
.32 
5.00 
.03 
.14 
.04 
.27 
.11 
.60 



41.0 

48.0 

8.7 

135.0 

.8 

3.8 

1.1 

7.3 

3.0 

16.2 



STONE 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



3.04 
3.50 



05 

28 



54 



8.20 
94,5 



1.35 
7.56 



14.60 
24.6 



Total 32. 05 Bbls.. .9. 81 Cu.Yds. 8. 29 Cu.Yds. 

*Body of Block 1:2:4 mixture. 
Facing 1 :2 cement and sand mortar. 

Steel required for Tank: 

24 34-inch round rods 2 feet 2 inches long 52 Linear Feet 

17 34 -m ch round rods 3 feet long 51 Linear Feet 

11 34-inch round rods 9 feet 4 inches long 103 Linear Feet 

Total 206 Linear Feet 

Weight 35 Pounds 
(A few feet additional should be ordered to allow for waste in cutting.) 



Design for Standard Milk Cooling Tank 

HPHE accompanying illustration shows a standard design for a milk 
"*- cooling tank. It will be found convenient to construct all cooling 
tanks wide enough to accommodate two rows of cans. Where the 
standard 14-inch cans are used, this width should be about 2 feet 6 inches. 
The desired capacity is obtained by varying the length of the tank. 

The design shown in Figure 73 possesses a number of advantages. 
The tank is arranged at a distance below the floor which allows the 
operator to lift the cans with ease by obtaining a maximum purchase 
at the point where the cans are hardest to raise — just as they are leav- 
ing the water. It is recommended that the floor of the tank be 8 inches 
below the floor of the milk room, and that the tank be made 20 inches 
in depth inside. The standard size milk cans, when resting on the 
bottom of the tank, will then be surrounded by water up to the neck of 
the cans, and the possibility of the water entering the cans will still be 
precluded. 

The tank floor and walls should be concreted at one operation. 
The floor of the tank should be 6 inches thick and the walls 4 inches 
thick. Reinforcement should consist of 34-inch round rods spaced as 
shown in the illustration. Ten longitudinal rods are required, these 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



89 




90 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



being spaced 7 inches apart in the walls, and 11 or 12 inches apart in 
the floor. The crosswise reinforcing rods (which are bent up into a 
"U" shape as shown in the section) are spaced 12 inches apart. The 
longitudinal rods in the walls should extend around the tank as bands, 
care being taken to lap the ends of these rods for a distance of 24 inches. 
The reinforcing should be securely wired together at all intersections. 

Concrete for the tank should be mixed in the proportion of 1 sack 
of cement, to 2 cubic feet of sand, to 3 cubic feet of screen gravel or 
stone, (Specification A, page 157), mixed with enough water to give it a 
"quaky" consistency. The top of the tank wall, over which the milk 
cans must be lifted, should be reinforced with a piece of 4-inch channel 
iron, anchored in the concrete by J^-inch bolts with heads counter-sunk 
in the channel, as shown in the section through channel. These bolts 
should be spaced about 2 feet apart. 

Care should be taken before concreting to see that a firm base is 
provided. If the ground below the tank has been disturbed recently, 
or, if for any other reason, it is not firm, it should be packed down with 
the use of water, if necessary, and a 6-inch fill of cinders or gravel put 
in. Negligence in securing a good foundation for the tank occasionally 
causes trouble, as the settling of the ground beneath any portion of 
the tank will subject it to heavy strains. 




Figure 74. Concrete Block Ice House on the farm of Mrs. Gallup, Rochester, Wisconsin. Built by 
J. A. Kilpatrick, Rochester. Size 14 feet square by 16 feet in height. Capacity, 90 tons. 
Cost, $325. The ice is kept with minimum shrinkage, and the house will never warp out of shape. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



91 



Concrete Ice Houses 

n^HE farm ice house is coming to be considered more of a necessity 
than a luxury. During the heat of the summer the souring of milk 
and the running of butter are not only an inconvenience, but in many 
cases mean the loss of considerable profit. Where ice is easily obtain- 
able from lake or stream, the ice house is generally a saver of money 
on the dairy farm, not to mention the added convenience. 

The first essential of a good ice house is insulation against heat. 
To insure this the walls and the floor and even the roof of the ice house 
are built so as to include one or more layers of an insulating material, 
and ventilators are provided in the roof to prevent the accumulation 
of warm air underneath. Mineral wool, charcoal, cork, felt, paper, 
sawdust, cinders and air which is confined, are the more common 
insulators. Insulating materials are always much more effective when 
dry than when wet, and for this reason it is important that the house be 
constructed of materials which will not allow moisture from the melting 
ice to reach the insulating material. 

A wooden ice house is usually an unsightly structure after it has been 
up for a short time. It is generally warped and out of shape, and the 
sills and lower timbers decay rapidly from the dampness caused by the 
melting of the ice. Steel rods or struts used to brace such buildings make 
good conductors of heat from the outside with a resulting loss of ice 
through shrinkage. Insurance companies consider wooden ice houses 




Figure 75. Concrete Block Ice House, Echo Valley Farm, Henry Hanson, proprietor, Odeboldt, Iowa. 
Built in 1907 by the owner. Size, 16 feet by 24 feet. 



92 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



poor fire risks, and buildings of this kind seem to be attractive objects 
for lightning. 

A concrete ice house is a good investment because when once properly 
constructed it will last for an indefinite period and will not warp out of 
shape, blow down or be destroyed by fire. The additional expense of conc- 
crete construction, if there be any, will be entirely compensated during the 
first few years by the lower cost of up-keep and the freedom from repairs. 

Capacity of the Farm Ice House. Solid ice weighs about 56 
pounds per cubic foot and averages about 40 pounds per cubic foot, 
allowing for voids between cakes. On this basis a house 10 feet square 
and 10 feet in height would have a capacity of 20 tons, if carefully 
packed. This quantity will be found sufficient to take care of an aver- 
age consumption of 500 to 700 pounds per week, for six months, allow- 



Ventilotor-i 




Figure 76. Concrete Block Ice House with double 
tical structure. 



PART SECTION 
OF DOOR 

air space. A decidedly economical and prac- 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



9,'i 



ing liberally for shrinkage. Fifteen to twenty tons should be about the 
minimum capacity of the average farm ice house, and where plenty of 
cold water is not available for keeping the milk cool and for other pur- 
poses, it is advisable to build the ice house larger. 




Figure 77. Common Clamp for closing ice house 
doors. A good clamp is very essential in keeping 
out air. 



A Concrete Block Ice House 

Tj^IGURE 76 shows the design of a small concrete block ice house 
■*■ with walls having two air spaces. The inside of the building is 10 
feet square by 10 feet in height and will hold from 15 to 20 tons of ice. 
The outer wall is constructed of hollow or air space concrete blocks and 
the inner wall of solid concrete veneer block. The floors and roof are 
also of concrete. 

The foundation must go down below the f rostline, and should extend up 
to within 16 inches of the ground line, at which point the first course of 
blocks should be started. The 
air spaces in the walls are thus 
brought down below the ground 
line, which insures better insula- 
tion against the heat than would 
be possible otherwise. 

The walls have double air 
spaces and consist of an inner 
wall of solid veneer block 4 inches 
thick and an outer wall of 8-inch 
hollow block. There is an 8-inch 
air space within the two block 
walls. For maximum efficiency the hollow blocks should be of a con- 
tinuous air space type similar to the Anchor block. The inner and 
outer walls must be tied together with metal ties made of strap iron 
or similar material at frequent intervals. 

C are must be 
taken to have the 
ties between the inner 
and outer walls extend 
only to the air space 
in the outer blocks, 
not cont i nui n g 
through to the outer 
surface, as steel is an 
m**^ excellent conductor 
of heat and cold and 
would readily conduct 
heat from the outside 
into the ice chamber. 
The space between 
the blocks maybe filled 
with ground cork, dry 
T . shavings or sawdust, 

Monolithic Ice House of John D.owe, Grafton, Wis- 1 p. »,-, . ^n. 

Size of ice room, 10 feet by 12 feet Built by the owner. Or leit WltUOUt tilling. 




94 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




Dry shavings probably make the cheapest and most satisfactory insu- 
lator. The joints between blocks should be well flushed in order to 
prevent the penetration of dampness, and a coating of tar or pitch on 
the side of the wall next to the insulating material is a good safeguard. 

For the floor, the dirt should be excavated to a depth of a foot or 
more, if necessary to reach firm soil. Cinders should then be filled in 
and well packed, up to within 8 inches of the ground line. Two 4-inch 
layers of concrete are placed on this with an intermediate layer of cinders 
between, as shown in the figure. The floor should slope toward the 
drain in the center. The trap in the drain is necessary to prevent the 
circulation of air up through the ice. The design shown is simple and 
efficient, and no part of it will rust except the plate and the bell, which 
are both removable. The box opening is made with a wooden box 
form, and a 4-inch concrete tile should project about 3 inches through 
the center of the bottom. The plate, which is 14 inches square, permits the 
water to pass through. A bell, which hangs over the top of the tile 
when in position, is riveted to the center of the plate. Water will then 

stand in the box to 
the level of the top of 
the tile, effectually 
sealing the drain. The 
space above the plate 
is to be filled with 
pebbles or broken 
stone. 

The roof consists 
of two concrete slabs 
with a layer of cinders 
between. The lower 
slab is designed to 
carry the load, being 
4 inches thick and re- 
inforced with ^-inch 
round rods spaced 5 
inches apart, center to 
center, in both direc- 
tions. After the concrete has hardened sufficiently, 6 inches of cinders 
are placed upon it and covered with a 3-inch concrete slab reinforced 
with ^-inch round rods spaced 24 inches apart, center to center, in 
both directions. A 6-inch galvanized iron ventilator should be placed in 
the center of the roof as shown. 

Two doors are provided. The inner one is built up similar to a 
silo door and the sawdust and ice piled against it during filling. The 
outer one is built in three sections, each made up of a 2-inch skeleton 
frame covered on both sides with two thicknesses of tongue-and-grooved 
boards with tarred paper between. The edges should be covered with 
felt to insure a tight joint. The middle section opens first, and then either 
the upper or lower section as desired. This makes it unnecessary to 
open the door to its full height at one time, thus protecting the interior 
as much as possible from warm drafts. 




Figure 79. Ice House with Concrete Roof, Armour Farm, Lake 
Forest, 111. A practical structure of pleasing appearance and per- 
manent construction. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



95 



While the ice above is being used, the space between the lower section- 
al door and the inner door may remain filled with shavings. Each door 
must have a latch of a type that will press the door inward in locking it. 
The type of latch shown in Figure 77, is recommended for this purpose. 

Proportions (See page 157). 

Foundation, Specification D. 

Floor, veneer blocks, backing for hollow blocks and roof, Specifi- 
cation B. 

Lintels, Specification A. 

Facing for hollow blocks, 1 :% cement and sand mortar. 

Table of Materials 



Foundation 

Floor 

Hollow Blocks {**£• 

Veneer Blocks 

Roof 

Lintels 



MIX- 
TURE 



2^:5 

2:4 

2:4 

2 
2:4 

2:4 
2:3 



CEMENT 
Bbls. Sacks 



C.18 
3.84 
14.32 
2.95 
8.45 
7.21 
.20 



24.72 
15.36 
57. 28 
11.80 
33.80 
28.84 
.80 



SAND 

Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



2.18 
1.07 
4.02 
0.83 
2.37 
2.02 
.06 



58.8 
28.9 
108.3 
22.2 
64.0 
59.5 
1.62 



STONE 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft, 


4.36 
2.15 
8.03 


117.6 

58.0 

216.6 



4.74 

4.04 

.12 



128.0 

109.0 

3.24 



Total 43. 15 Bbls. 12. 55 Cu.Yds. 23. 44 Cu.Yds. 

Approximate amount of Reinforcing required: 

450 Pounds (1200 feet) ^g-inch round rods. 




Figure 80. Concrete Block Poultry House, Echo Valley Farm, Odeboldt, Iowa. A comfortable house, 
in which the fowls lay all year around. Dimensions, 16 feet by 36 feet. Built by the owner in 1907. 



96 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



Concrete Poultry Houses 

TXTHETHER raising a few chickens for table use, or running an ex- 
v * tensive poultry farm, there is generally a good margin of profit 
in poultry. The profit, however, varies in amount according to the 
favorable or unfavorable circumstances under which the fowls are 
raised and marketed. Briefly, poultry profits depend upon the follow- 
ing essentials: 

(1) Suitable buildings, properly located. 

(2) Careful feeding and breeding. 

(3) Ability to hatch and rear chickens. 

(4) Availability of markets. 

In the present chapter only the first of the above requisites will be 
dealt with, discussion on the other three being not only outside the scope 
of this booklet, but covered in a complete and comprehensive manner 
in various Experiment Station bulletins. 

Location of the Poultry House. The poultry house should be 
located on ground that is either naturally dry, or provided with good 
artificial drainage. The location of the house should be on a rise of 
ground, if possible, providing south exposure to insure plenty of sunlight. 
Buildings which face the south get the largest exposure to the sun's 
rays, and are warmer, dryer and more cheerful than buildings not so 
located. i^.n eastern exposure is preferable to a western exposure, as 
hens prefer morning to afternoon sun. 




Figure 81. Poultry House of H. Cox, Farmer City, Illinois, constructed of home made con- 
crete blocks. Dimensions, 20 feet by 40 feet. Cost about $110. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 97 

The poultry house should be located, of course, with a view to saving 
time and labor in caring for the birds. Where a large number of fowls 
must be fed three times and watered once each day, and the house cleaned 
once daily, it need not be stated that the saving of even a few steps, by 
convenient location, results in no small saving of labor in the course of a 
year. 

Requirements of a Good Poultry House. The two great requi- 
sites of a good poultry house are plenty of sunlight and an abundance 
of pure air. As a rule, poultry houses lack sufficient ventilation, which is 
far more important than warmth. Plenty of air insures the health of 
the poultry, but the arrangements of door and windows must always 
be such that drafts will be avoided, particularly in the vicinity of the 
roosts. Dampness in poultry houses, especially during cold weather, is 
generally the result of insufficient ventilation. 

Sunlight is a great dispeller of disease, and the value of sufficient 
window area in poultry houses cannot be overestimated. It must be 
remembered, however, that while a house without plenty of sunlight is 
liable to be damp and dreary, a house containing excessive glass will 
be hot during summer days and extremely cold during winter nights. 

Securing Proper Light and Ventilation. The best method of 
securing proper light and ventilation is by the combined use of cloth 
and glass windows. Roof or wall ventilators may also be used in con- 
junction, if desired. About one square foot of window area to ten 
square feet of floor area, about equally divided between cloth and glass 
windows, will be sufficient to give good light and ventilation if properly 
placed. In Bulletin No. 215 by the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment 




Figure 82. Monolithic Poultry House and Shop on the farm of Dr. D. S. Jaffray, Lisle, Illinois. 
One of several concrete buildings on Dr. Jaffray's place. 



98 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



Station, Professors Halpin and Ocock give the proper amount of window 
space as one square foot of glass to fourteen or sixteen square feet of 
floor space, and the amount of cloth as one square foot to eight or ten 
square feet of floor space. Professors Rice and Rogers, in Bulletin 
No. 274, by Cornell University, recommend one square foot of glass 
surface for about 16 feet of floor area where the windows are properly 
placed, and used in conjunction with some other means of ventilating. 
The same bulletin says: "The time when sunshine is most needed is 
when the sun is low- 
est, from September 
21st to March 21st. 
Figure 83 shows the 
extreme points which 
the sunshine reaches 
during this period, 
through a four foot 
window placed with 
the top 4 feet, 6 feet 
and 7 feet high, re- 
spectively. With the 
highest point of the 
window at 4 feet, the 
direct sun's rays would 
never reach farther 
back than 9 feet; at 6 
feet it would shine 13 3/2 feet back, and at 7 feet it would strike the 
back side of the house a little above the floor. In very narrow houses 




Figure 83. Diagram showing direction of sun's Rays De- 
cember 21, and distance back which rays will penetrate for 
various heights of windows. 




Figure 84. Reinforced Monolithic Poultry House of the Eurn Brae Hospital, Primos, Pennsylvania. 
Built by the Superintendent, Dr. Stanton. Dimensions, 15 feet by 30 feet. Cos-t, $300. Dr. 
Stanton is so well pleased with this building that five more similar structures will be put up by the 
Hospital this year. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



a window not higher than four feet above the floor would suffice. In 
houses deeper than 15 feet, however, the window should be placed even 
higher than seven feet in order to obtain the most desirable conditions. 

Small glass in window-sash seriously obstructs the light. Very 
large lights break too easily and are expensive. Eight by ten is a good 
sized glass to be used in a 12-inch light sash, making it about 3 feet 
9 inches high by 2 feet 5 inches wide." 

Cleanliness and Convenience. The poultry house should be 
built in such a manner that it may be cleaned out easily and disinfected. 
The inside surface of the walls should be made smooth and free from 
ledges, projections or pockets. If care is taken with either concrete 
block or monolithic work, smooth walls will result without plastering. 
Litter accumulates rapidly and is hard to remove from square corners, 
and for this reason it is advisable to make all corners round, using the 
method shown in Figure 29, page 34. The windows should be placed 
where they will be protected and remain as free as possible from 
accumulations of litter. 

Size of Building. Regarding the size of house to build, Wisconsin 
Bulletin No. 215 says "In determining the size of a house, consider the 
number of fowls that are to be kept in one pen. A flock of fifty hens 
should usually be allowed about five square feet of floor space per hen. 
Where the attendant is careful to keep the house clean and the floor 
heavily littered with straw, less floor space will be necessary. As a rule, 
it is far better to allow too much floor space than too little. The larger 
the pen, the less floor space will be required per hen. One hundred 
hens will thrive in a pen 20 x 20 feet, that is, four square feet of floor 






I 



!!!!!!! !!!:!!!!!!!! :::!!!!!! 



II 111 

111 III III III 111 

III IIS III HI til 




Figure 85. Concrete Poultry and Hog Houses, O'Neil Dairy Farm, Thiensville, Wisconsin. These 
buildings, which are of monolithic construction, are placed at a distance from the other structures 
and have excellent provision for light and ventilation. 



100 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



space per hen, but one hen will not thrive in a pen 2x2 feet. In the 
large pen, each one has a chance to wander about over the entire floor 
space, thus getting more exercise. As the number in the flock becomes 
less, the amount of floor space per hen must increase, and anyone keep- 
ing eight or ten hens should allow at least ten square feet of floor space 
per hen, unless he is prepared to give special attention to cleaning and 
bedding the house. A crowded condition in a poultry house is re- 
sponsible for lack of winter egg production." 

Cornell Bulletin No. 274 says, "The best net results appear to be 
secured when fowls are allowed four or five square feet floor space each. 
Small flocks lay better than large flocks. While ordinarily we may 
expect to get more eggs from a small flock than from a large one it is 
also true that every time we double a flock we divide the labor. Fifty 
to one hundred fowls seem to be about as many as it is safe and eco- 
nomical to keep together in one pen as a unit." 





Figure 86. Interior of Concrete Poultry House, O'Neil Dairy Farm, Thiensville, Wisconsin. Notice 
the light, sanitary construction, and the absence in the walls of cracks which harbor lice and mites. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



101 



Reinforced Concrete Poultry House for 
Several Flocks 

fTVHE monolithic house shown in Figure 88, may be built with as 
■*■ few or as many sections as desired to accommodate any number of 
flocks. As shown, this poultry house will furnish quarters for five flocks 
of about 35 birds each. The poultry compartments each consist of a room 
9 feet 8 inches wide and 12 feet long, with a scratching pen of the same 
width and 6 feet long on the south side. The scratching pen is designed 
with a low roof with large glass windows on top making it warm and light 
and providing an excellent place for the chickens to scratch and pick up 
their food during cold and disagreeable weather. 

The passageway 
is 3 feet 8 inches in 
width and runs the 
entire length of the 
building. Windows 2 
feet 8 inches square 
are provided to furn- 
ish light, as in the pre- 
ceding design. Details 
of the poultry room 
windows are shown in 
Figure 88, and Figure 
89, section A-A. The 
window openings on 
the front side of the 
poultry room above 
the scratching pen 
roof are 2 feet 8 inches 
high and 3 feet 8 

inches in length, and two are provided for each compartment. The open- 
ings in the scratching pen roof are 2 feet 8 inches by 4 feet 6 inches. 
Those on the front side of the scratching pen are 1 foot 10 inches by 3 
feet 4 inches. 

All of the windows excepting those on the front side of the scratching 
pens are of glass. Hot bed sashes with the glass put on in a manner 
similar to the shingles on a roof are the best to use over the openings 
in the roof of the scratching pen. Small windows below are made of 
muslin or canvas and serve as doorways for the chickens. The roosts 
and nests should be constructed as shown in the detailed construction 
(Section A-A) and described on pages 114 to 116. 

In building the structure the walls may be run up simultaneously 
with a saving of a great deal of time, but less form lumber will be re- 
quired if the various walls are built independently. The sidewalls are 
all identical in construction and one form will suffice for all. While 
the side walls are being built, one at a time, the back wall and the low 
front wall may be built. It is preferable to concrete the back wall at 




Figure 87. Concerte Chicken House of W. F. Wickham, Pleas- 
ant View Poultry Farm, Center Point, Iowa. 



102 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




8 S 

o > 

S2 

O OS 

Si 

c ^ 

•S"s 
•Ss 



o 5 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



103 




104 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



one operation, but if this is impossible it may be built in sections taking 
care to secure a good bond between the old and the new concrete wher- 
ever the work has been discontinued. The method of joining old work 
to new is described on page 36. 

In completing the side walls and the back wall the reinforced girders 
spanning the passageway should be cast in place. These girders are 
8 inches deep, 4 inches wide, and 4 feet 4 inches long, and require only a 
simple box mold. The girders should be reinforced with two %-inch 
rods placed one inch above the bottom, and four J^-inch stirrups placed 
as shown in section A-A and section X-X, Figure 89. The ^-inch re- 
inforcing rods should be long enough to be securely anchored in the 
concrete at both ends of the girder. When these girders are placed in 
the walls the tops should be flush with the top of the walls. All of the 
walls should be reinforced according to the standard reinforcing direc- 
tions given on pages 39 to 44, with the modifications shown in the figures. 

Vertical reinforcing rods in the walls should extend about 6 inches 
above the top of the wall for the purpose of joining the roof reinforcing. 
If the end walls are not constructed at the same time as the side walls, 
corner reinforcing should be placed in the side walls so as to extend into 
the end walls when they are concreted later. 

The construction of the building will be found more simple if the 
scratching pen roof and the front wall above it are left until the com- 
pletion of all the other walls. Forms for the scratching pen roof should 
only consist of a tight floor of boards, a suitable wooden frame for mak- 
ing the opening in the top of the roof, and a small mold box for casting 
the eave. The wall above the scratching pen roof requires only a simple 
wall form with frames in it to produce the desired window openings. 
The most economical manner of casting this roof wall is to provide a 
form for just one section and to take down the form and move it to the 
next section as the section previously concreted becomes strong enough 
to warrant removal of the forms. 

If this method be used, the lengthwise reinforcing should not be dis- 
continued at the end of each section, but should run continuously from 
one end of the roof to the other, the roof only being broken where 




MllilllllPMIIIIII II 

Figure 90. Concrete Poultry House on the 5-acre poultry farm of Karl Selig, Downer's Grove, Illi- 
nois. Each of the two wings of the house have quarters for five flocks. The center portion of the 
building is occupied by the owner. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



105 



necessary, and there lapped in accordance with the suggestion made 
on page 140. The roof slab is 3 inches thick and is reinforced with 
J^-inch rods spaced 6 inches apart, center to center, the entire section 
of the roof; and 34-inch rods spaced 4 inches apart, center to center, 
the short way of it. These rods should be wired together and placed 
in the roof in accordance with suggestions on page 65. 

The wall above this roof should be 4 inches thick, reinforced as shown 
in section A- A, Figure 89, with two 3^-inch rods running lengthwise of 
the wall one inch above the bottom of it, and with corner reinforcing 
extending up from the scratching pen roof and extending from the wall 
into the main roof above. Additional reinforcing should be placed 
around the windows as suggested on page 41. Section Y-Y shows the 
method of joining this wall to the partition walls. 

The main roof of the house should be constructed in accordance with 
the suggestions furnished in the section on roofs, and the forms shown 
in Figure 52 will be found suitable for use in this case. Reinforcing 
consists of ^-inch rods placed 4 inches apart, center to center, the long 
way of the roof, and %-inch rods spaced 18 inches apart, center to center, 
the short way of the roof. Although this roof may be constructed in 
sections in the same manner as that suggested for the small roof below, 
the reinforcing should be continuous from one end of the roof to the 
other. Great care must be taken in joining one section of the roof to 
the other to obtain a good bond between the old and new concrete. 
(See page 65.) Care should be taken to discontinue roof slabs directly 
over the center line of the partition walls which support it. 

Proportions (See page 157). 

Foundations, footings and walls, Specification D. 

Floor, Specification C. 

Roof girders and slabs, Specification B. 

Table of Materials 





MIX- 
TURE 


ONE ROOM 


EACH ADDITIONAL ROOM 




Con- 
crete 
Cu. Yds 


Cement 
Bbls. 


Sand 
Cu. Yds. 


Stone 
Cu. Yds. 


Con- 
crete 
Cu. Yds 


Cement 
Bbls. 


Sand 
Cu. Yds. 


Stone 
Cu. Yds. 


Footings and 

Foundations 

Walls 


1:2^:5 

1:2^:5 

1:2:4 

1:2^:4 

1:2:4 


6.04 
4.02 
2.94 
2.55 

.03 


7.85 
5.22 
4.62 
3.72 

.05 
21.46 
Bbls. 


2.78 
1.85 
1.29 
1.30 
.01 
7.23 
Cu. Yds. 


5.56 

3.70 

2.59 

2.09 

.03 

13.97 

Cu. Yds. 


3.33 
2.58 
2.75 
2.55 
.03 


4.33 
3.36 
4.32 
3.72 
.05 
15.78 
Bbls. 


1.53 
1.19 
1.21 
1.30 
.01 
5.24 
Cu. Yds. 


3.06 

2 38 


Roof Slabs 

Floor 

Girders 

Totals 


2.42 

2.09 

.03 

9 98 








Cu. Yds. 



Approximate amount of Reinforcing required: 



FOR ONE ROOM 

1485 feet ^-inch rods Weight 558 Lbs. 

283 feet K-inch rods Weigh t 48 Lbs. 

Total 606 Lbs. 



FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ROOM 

1248 feet %-inch rods Weight 468 Lbs. 

290 feet M-inch rods Weight 50 Lbs. 

20 feet 3^-inch rods Weig ht 14 Lbs. 

Total 532 Lbs. 



(Add 10 per cent additional to allow for waste.) 



106 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




Figure 91. CONCRETE POULTRY HOUSES 
(1) Cement Plaster Poultry House of W. D. Dengre, West Manchester, Mass. 
(2) ; Concrete Poultry House of R. E. Griffith, Haverford, Pa. 
(3) Dr. N. Baldwin's Concrete Poultry House, Coldwater, Michigan. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



107 



Concrete Block Poultry House 

TN putting up a poultry house the owner frequently has in mind 
"*■ future additions or alterations to give the house greater capacity. 
The concrete block building shown in Figure 93 is designed to accommo- 
date a flock of thirty-five or forty chickens, but is so planned that it 
may be enlarged to accommodate any number of birds desired, by simply 
adding additional rooms of the same size onto either side of the structure. 

The poultry compartment is 11 feet 8 inches from the hallway to the 
front, and 12 feet 4 inches from side to side. The hallway is divided 
off from the poultry compartment by a cement plaster wall, directions 
for the building of which will be found on pages 52 to 57. Light and 
ventilation are provided in the poultry compartment by a large window 
in the front, 6 feet 8 inches in height and 5 feet 4 inches in width. 
The window which should swing on a vertical axis or from hinges at- 
tached to the top of the frame, should be covered with heavy muslin 
or light canvas. 

Two doors are shown leading into the house from the outside, but 
only one is required if just a single section of the house is built. If 
more than one section is built it is convenient to have a door at each 
end of the hallway. It is also necessary to provide a door between/the 
hallway and the poultry room, although none is shown in the figure. 
Light is provided in the hallway by a glass window 2 feet 8 inches 
square, for each section of the house. 




Figure 92. George Rosenhauer's Poultry House, Early, Iowa, 
kept in good condition and lay all winter. 



In spite of outside cold the fowls are 



108 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 














'-;t 










1* 


iJ 




i 


J) 

: 

1 




















I 

-I 

-1 
-1 

-1 

1 

"1 

-1 

I 

1 








— 


r 










[ 
[ 




o 

1 
1 


1 
1 


i 
1 






% 


I I i i i i i i 




L 


„+-.*■• 




-V 
















\ 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



109 



The foundations, floor, walls and roof of the house may be constructed 
in accordance with the design shown in the figure and the general direc- 
tions for such work given in the first section of this book. The roof slab 
is 5 inches thick, reinforced with 3^-inch round rods, spaced 7 inches 
apart from side wall to side wall, and %-inch round rods 18 inches apart 
from front to back. The 3^-inch rods should be placed 1 inch above 
the bottom of the slab, and the 3/g-inch rods laid on top of, and wired to 
them. The lintel above the window opening on the front side of the 
house should be 6 feet 8 inches in length, reinforced with two j^-inch 
round rods placed one inch above the bottom of the lintel. 

The concrete roosts, nests, and dust box should be constructed as 
suggested under the head of "Interior Fittings of Poultry Houses, "pages 
113 to 116. Openings are left in the cement plaster partition between the 
hallway and the poultry compartment through which to gather the eggs 
without entering the room with the poultry. These openings may be 
covered with a wooden or screen door, or a number of individual doors, 
to prevent the hens from coming out through them. 

Proportions (See page 157.) 

Footings, Specification D. 

Body of Blocks and Single Course Floor, Specification D. 

Roof, Specification B. 

Lintels, Specification H. 

Plaster Partition and Surface Coat for Concrete Blocks, 1 :2 cement 
and sand mortar. 

Table of Materials 



Blocks 



Footings 

( Body.... 

( Surface. . . 

Lintels 

Roof 

Plaster Partition. . . 
Floor 



VOL. 
Cu. Yds 



5.18 



.31 

3.85 

.42 
2.06 



MIX- 
TURE 



1:2^:5 

1:2^:4 

1:2 

1:2:3 

1:2:4 

1:2 

1:2^:4 



CEMENT 
Bbls. Sacks 



6.42 

7.34 

1.55 

.54 

5.82 
1.30 
2.86 



25.68 

29.36 
6.20 
2.16 

23.28 
5.20 

11.44 



SAND 

Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



2.40 

2.70 
.46 
.16 

1.74 
.39 

1.05 



64.80 
73.00 
12.42 
4.32 
47.00 
10.54 
28.30 



STONE 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



4.77 
4.32 

.24 
3.43 

1.69 



128. 80 
116.60 



6.50 
9.28 

45.60 



Total 25. 83 Bbls. 8. 90 Cu.Yds. 14. 45 Cu.Yds. 



Approximate amount of Reinforcing required: 

650 feet S^-inch round rod Weight 245 Lbs. 

(Add about 10 per cent additional to allow for waste.) 



110 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. Ill 



Reinforced Concrete Poultry House with 
Incubator Cellar 

A N incubator cellar is frequently a desirable adjunct to the poultry 
^- house, and where it is desired to provide space for the incubators 
in the same building in which the poultry is housed, the design shown 
in Figure 94 will be found convenient. This building was designed 
for F. S. Hamilton, West Bridgewater, Pa., from suggestions furn- 
ished by him. It has a poultry compartment 7 feet 6 inches in width 
and 40 feet 6 inches in length, with a loft on one side 6 feet in width and 
extending the entire length of the poultry compartment. 

The roosts may be placed in the loft. The incubator room rs 
three steps below the floor of the poultry room, and is 6 feet in width and 
40 feet 6 inches in length. A vestibule or storeroom 14 feet by 8 feet 2 
inches is provided at the end of the building with doors leading to both 
compartments. One side of the poultry room is open, the roof of the 
structure being supported on the open side by columns. The openings 
between columns should be provided with muslin or canvas curtains 
which can be lowered to give sufficient warmth during cold weather. 

A low curb should be built between the columns on the open side 
of the poultry room to prevent the dirt on the floor from being scratched 
out. The method of construction and dimensions of this curb are given 
in Figure 94. 

The footings for the walls are 12 inches wide, and those for the 
columns are 18 inches wide. The walls of the structure are 6 inches 
thick and extend around three sides. A 4-inch concrete panel wall 
7 feet 6 inches long extends between the two columns at the right end 
of the structure, forming the fourth side of the feed room. The columns 
which support the roof on the fourth side are 8 inches by 12 inches in 
section and are reinforced with four 3^-inch round rods placed lj^ 
inches in from the corners of the columns. These columns support the 








Figure 95. Home of A. L. Larson's prize flock, near Aberdeen, South Dakot 
Contractor. 



112 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



roof girders which in turn support the roof slabs. The wall on the long 
side of the building is broken into two panels between which is placed 
a column slotted as shown in the illustration. This column is added 
for the sake of appearance only, and if it is desired to omit the column 
an expansion joint should be left at this point as directed on page 36. 
The end walls are tongued to the back wall as shown. The slab above 
the incubator cellar is 3 inches in thickness and is reinforced with 34- 
inch rods spaced 3 inches, center to center, across the short way of the 
slab, and about 24 inches, center to center, lengthwise of the slab. Forms 
for the slab should be constructed at the same time as those for the walls, 
and the slab and walls, up to the slab, concreted at the same time. 
The back wall of the building may then be carried up to the roof line. 

If the roosts are placed in the loft above the cellar roof, the roof 
slab will serve as a dropping board. The roof girders are 12 inches 
wide and 16 inches deep, reinforced with four ^-inch rods placed lJ/£ 
inches back from the corners as shown. They are cast in place in mold 
boxes at the same time as the roof slabs. 

Proportions (See page 157). 

Foundations and Column Footings, Specification D. 

Floors, Curbs, Stairs, Walls, Partitions, Columns, Beams and Roof* 
Specification B. 





Tat 


►le of Materials 












Cu. Yds 


MIX- 
TURE 


CEMENT 
Bbls. Sacks 


SAND 

Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 


STONE 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 


Foundation 

Column Footings 

Floor 


9.15 
1.49 

12.54 
0.25 
0.11 

13.15 
4.02 
0.91 
4.22 
2.44 

10.01 


1:23 

1:2] 
1? 


4:5 

4* 
4 


11 89 
1.94 

19.70 
0.39 
0.18 

20.65 
6.31 
1.43 
6.62 
3.83 

15.85 


47 56 

7.76 

78.80 

1.56 

0.72 

82.60 

25.24 

5.72 

26.48 

15.32 

63.40 


4.21 
0.69 
5.53 
0.11 
0.05 
5.78 
1.77 
0.40 
1.86 
1.07 
4.45 


113.60 
18.50 

149. 30 
2.97 
1.35 

156. 20 
47.75 
10.79 
50.02 
28.95 

120.00 


8.42 
1.38 
11.06 
0.22 
0.10 
11.56 
3.54 
0.80 
3.92 
2.15 
8.89 


227. 00 
37.00 

298. 50 
5.94 
2.70 

312.40 
95.50 
21.58 

100.04 
57.9a 


Curb 


1:2 
1:2 
1:2 
1:2 
1:2 
1:2 
1:2 
1:2 


4 
4 
4 
4 
4 
4 
4 
4 




WaUs 


Partitions 




Beams 


Cellar Roof 


Roof 


240. 00 



Total 88. 79 Bbls. 25. 92 Cu.Yds. 52. 04 Cu.Yds. 



Approximate amount of Reinforcing required: 

3140 feet 3^-inch rods Weight 2094 Lbs. 

511 feet %-inch rods Weight 192 Lbs. 

1318 feet 34-inch rods Weight 220 Lbs. 

340 feet ^-inch rods Weight 355 Lbs. 

Total 2861 Lbs. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



113 



Interior Fittings for Concrete Poultry Houses 

Floors. A concrete floor is a very desirable feature in a poultry 
house, being durable and rat-proof, and easy to keep clean. The floor 
may conveniently be laid as soon as the foundation is in place, following 
closely the directions given in the section on "Concrete Floors," pages 
23 to 26. The floor should be placed at a sufficient height above the 
level of the ground to prevent water from running in, and the surface 
should be troweled quite smooth, to facilitate cleaning. 

The concrete poultry house floor should never be left bare, but should 
be covered with about three inches of sand or soft dirt. This should be 
replaced as often as necessary to keep it fresh and clean at all times. 
The sand should be covered with six to ten inches of straw in the winter. 
Besides providing warmth for the fowls, the straw makes it necessary 
for them to scratch harder for their feed, giving them needed exercise 
during cold weather. 

Sand Bath. If it is impossible to secure sand in sufficient quantity 
to use on the entire floor, a space 2j^ feet square should be curbed off 
in one corner of each section of the house, to be used as a sand bath 
for the fowls. The sand within the curbing should be kept dry and 
clean, and in case sand is not available, finely powdered ashes are some- 
times substituted. The principal objections to ashes, however, are that 
they are likely to contain sharp particles which have a tendency to 
cut the down on the feathers, and that their attraction for moisture 
makes it necessary to change ashes oftener than sand. 



-/Poof line 




Figure 96. Perspective view showing concrete hens' nests and dropping board in position. 



114 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



The curb around the sand bath should be put in at the same time 
as the floor, and for this work only simple form boards are required. 
Four inches will be found a convenient width for the curb, which should 
extend up above the floor about the same distance. 

Roosts. A simple wooden ladder will serve as an approach to the 
roosts. The dropping board should consist of a concrete slab 2 inches 
thick and should be given a slop of 1 inch to the foot, to facilitate clean- 
ing. The roosts are made of 2x2-inch wooden strips which fit into 
2x2-inch pockets in the wall on one side and into a little shoulder with 
a recess for support on the other side. This scheme makes it possible 
to remove the roosts for cleaning and disinfecting. 

Nests. Concrete is a very good material for use around poultry 
houses, because of the fact that it contains no crevices to harbor vermin. 
Experts declare they have found no case where a setting hen has left 
a concrete nest because of lice. This freedom from lice makes it possible 
for the bird to retain more flesh at the end of the setting period and 

therefore, more 

i^r-^fy] ^ strength. The little 

chicks are according- 
ly stronger because 
they are not hatched 
in the breeding place 
of hungry lice. 

Figures 96 and 97 
show the plan and 
detail for making con- 
crete hens' nests. 
This scheme is ap- 
plicable to any hen 
house as the individ- 
ual parts are made 
separately and erec- 
ted in place. The 
concrete nests are 
constructed as fol- 
lows : the 4 x 4-inch 
column, 4'x 6-inch 
girder, and the drop- 
ping board should be 
cast in one operation. 
The 2-inch slab to 
the left (Figure 96) 
may be cast separate- 
ly and put in place 
later. This slab extends to the roof and is intended to prevent drafts 
from reaching the chickens on the roosts. 

The sides of the nests may be cast in unit sections in a mold similar 
to that shown in Figure 43. The top end of the nest partitions are 
provided with two projections, which fit into corresponding openings 
in the concrete slab directly above, (shown in Figure 97,) and are sealed 
with concrete mortar after being placed in position. The lower nests 





PARTS /1 55 CM BLED 



PARTITION 



l" thick-) 




Q5 

^ 

T 



TOP SLAB 



LOWER NE5T BOARD 



■thick-, (] ^r 



PLUG 



7 



UPPER NEST BOARD 



Figure 97. Plan for a Battery of Concrete Hens' Nests, suitable 
for use in Concrete Poultry House. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



115 




Wooue rt Sase of 
Ims'i<s« and Cuisiae llolcs 



l«sideM,clbl 12*14-" 
OuisideMoUd ISxISi" 



Figure. 98. Mold for making individual hen's nests for outside 
use. Hens do not abandon lice-proof nests and chicks do not 
become the prey of a legion of hungry lice. 




Figure 99. Concrete Hens' Nests and Molds of John Christensen, St. Charles, Illinois. Mold 
made by B. M. Bangs 8b Co., Lake Mills, Iowa. The two objects to the left are the outer and inner 
molds, while front and back views of the nests are shown to the right. 



11G 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



project beyond the upper nests as shown, making it possible for the 
hens to fly to the higher nests without difficulty. 

The bottom boards for the nests are cast separately as shown in Figure 
97, the slab being 1 inch thick with a projection across the front 3 inches 
thick. This projection serves as a perch for the birds to light upon and 
prevents the eggs from rolling out of the nest. The bottom of the nests 
slip in between the partitions, and are supported by little concrete 

lugs which slip into mortices 
cast in the partition. At the 
rear of the room, directly back 
of the nests, there should be 
an alleyway 4 feet wide. By 
means of holes in the partition 
wall, it is possible to remove 
the eggs from the nests from 
this alleyway. 

Figure 99 shows a concrete 
nest for outside use. Such 
nests are valuable because 
they can be placed anywhere, 
are water-proof and vermin- 
proof, and are practically un- 
breakable. The forms for 

Figure 100. Concrete Poultry House of C. W Boyn- making these nests are maUU- 

ton, Chicago. Cement plaster construction on woven factured by B. M. Bangs, 

wire lath supported by a framework of concrete t l A/r*ll T 

columns and beams. Lake Mills, lOWa. 





Figure 101. Interior of Concrete Poultry House, Iowana Farm, 
Davenport, Iowa. The model home of Col. French's fine 
flocks of White Orpingtons. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



117 



Concrete Hog Houses 

rPHE United States raises nearly one-half of the world's supply of 
■*■ swine. The price of pork has advanced steadily during the past 
two or three decades, and the future trend of figures will undoubtedly 
be upward. The increasing value of pork products should find hog 
raisers alert to stop every loss. It is at once an argument for hog saving 
as well as hog raising. With the proper care and attention, and the 
hogs housed in healthful and sanitary quarters, there is no reason why 
much of the annual loss of swine flesh cannot be stopped, and the prof- 
its of hog breeders proportionately increased. 

F. G. Moorhead, writing on the present campaign to stop the need- 
less slaughter of young pigs in Iowa, says in a recent number of the 
Technical World Magazine : "It was the average of twenty-five pigs 
lost on each farm each year which wrinkled most of the experts' brows, 
for there are 209,000 farms in Iowa, which means that 5,000,000 little 
porkers give up the ghost uselessly each year." If reliable, these 
figures are astounding in themselves, but even greatly more so when it 
is considered that conditions similar to those in Iowa hold in almost 
every hog-producing state in the Union. 

The introduction of concrete about the hog pen has been produc- 
tive of excellent results, both by improving the conditions under which 
the swine are housed and fed, and by making possible a saving in labor, 




Figure 102. Hog House of John E. Holden, Carson, South Dakota, built of Defiance concrete 
blocks. The owner found this material cheaper than wood and of course more sanitary and per- 
manent. 



118 SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 

maintenance expenses and feed. The general use of concrete for breed- 
ing houses, shelters, troughs, wallowing pools and feeding floors should 
bring about even further economies, as well as raise the standard of the 
stock and prevent much of the large loss of young pigs, due to exposure, 
unsanitary conditions and accidental death. Recent Government bulle- 
tins on the subject of hog tuberculosis point clearly to decaying wood 
construction as a chief source of infection. 

Notwithstanding the advice of swine experts generally, a large pro- 
portion of our farmers provide nothing more than a sheltered pen in 
which to keep their hogs during cold weather. In such cases the sows 
are not bred to farrow until late; or if they do farrow early, the loss of 
pigs is large. February and March pigs are, as a rule, the most prof- 
itable, and to successfully raise these in the northern states requires a 
tight, substantial house, often equipped with provision for heat. 

During the winter of 1903-04 a series of interesting experiments were 
conducted by the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Canada, to 
determine the comparative economy of wintering hogs within the 
piggery and without. Results show that a number of brood sows 
kept in a warm house were maintained in good condition at 25 per cent 
less expense than an equal number of sows wintered in the shelters 
occupied during the summer. The cost of feeding nine fall pigs kept 
within was found to be $3.85 per hundred pounds increase in live weight, 
while that of feeding eleven fall pigs maintained without was $5.42 per 
hundred pounds increase. Besides this saving of 29 per cent in actual 
cost of feed, the pigs kept within gained in weight somewhat faster than 
those kept without. 




I M 




I 



Figure 103. Concrete Block Machine Shed and Hog House on the farm of Fred Rownd, Cedar 
Falls, Iowa. Permanent buildings of pleasing appearance and practical design. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



119 



Types of Concrete Hog Houses. In the following pages designs 
for three general types of hog houses are shown: First, those used merely 
as shelter houses; second, the small breeding houses, used principally for 
early litters; third, a large house designed to accommodate a score or more 
of brood sows. Explanations of the available methods of construction 
— monolithic, block, panel and cement plaster — are given in the pre- 
ceding chapters, while the necessary instructions for applying stucco 
coats to wooden, brick or concrete block buildings will be found on 
pages 52 to 57. 



Small Shelter House of Unit Construction 



TTBE accompanying diagram, Figure 105, shows a plan and elevations 
■*■ of a small shelter house (17 feet 6 inches by 9 feet 1 inch). The walls 
and roof of the house are supported on 8 x 8-inch reinforced concrete 
posts, and placed 8 feet 5 inches apart, center to center. The posts 
used on the front of the structure are 9 feet long, and those used on the 
back 8 feet 5 inches long, the roof thus being given a 6-inch slope. The 
posts are each reinforced with four 3^-inch round rods, which are laced to- 
gether diagonally with wire, for the purpose of strengthening the walls 
of the grooves. Recesses are provided to receive the wall slabs, each 
recess being 2 inches deep, 2^ inches wide at the surface, 2^ inches 
wide at full depth, and extending from the upper end of the column to 
a point 33^2 feet from the lower end. 

In making the post or beam, the mold should be placed as shown, 
and concrete made of one part cement to two parts coarse sand to four 




^ 






Figure 104. Hollow Wall Monolithic Hog House of Charles Rauner, Laramie, Wyo. The building is 
16 feet by 42 feet, with a height of 12 feet to the ridge of the roof. It is designed to contain 8 pens on 
each side of a center passageway. 



120 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



parts screened gravel or crushed stone put in to a height of one inch. 
Two reinforcing rods are then placed upon the concrete, wires being 
passed around the rods at intervals of 18 inches, and the ends twisted 
together and brought up diagonally. The mold is then filled with 
concrete to within an inch and a half of the top, the remaining two 
reinforcing rods laid upon this, and the diagonal wires brought out and 
twisted around them. The mold is then completely filled. A 1:2:4 
mixture will give ample strength, but if it does not give sufficiently 
smooth surfaces, the proportion of stone should be decreased until the 






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UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



121 



desired results are obtained. After removal of the mold, each post or 
beam should be allowed to cure two or three weeks before using, and 
during this time should be stored where plenty of moisture can be 
provided. 

The posts may conveniently be hoisted into position with a tripod 
and tackle, as shown in Figure 44. When placing the posts, care must 
be taken in securing the proper spacing, alignment and height, as negli- 
gence in this regard will cause extra work. 

As soon as each post is placed the earth must be well tamped around 
it to within one foot of the surface. A small quantity of water may be 
poured in around the posts, as this helps to compact the soil. Exca- 
vation should next be made between the posts on the three enclosed 
sides for a curb, which will be the same width as the posts, extending 
6 inches above ground and 12 inches below ground. No curb will be 
required on the open side of the house unless a floor is to be put in. 
The forms for the curbing should be put up and filled with concrete of 
the same mixture as recommended for the posts. The top of the curb 
must be flush with the ends of the recesses in the posts. Each section 
of curb 7 feet 9 inches long requires about 2 sacks of cement, 5^ cubic 
feet of sand and 9 cubic feet of gravel or stone. If a concrete floor is 
desired, the surface should be 2 inches below the curb line, and the 
space between the surface of the floor and the top of the curb filled with 
bedding. If a dirt floor is to be put in, the surface may be made flush 
with the curb. 




Figure 106. Concrete Block Hog House on the farm of Eugene D. Funk, near Shirley, Illinois. This 
house, which is 42 feet by 24 feet in dimensions, contains 10 pens, a feed room and a store room. 
The walls were built of 8-inch by 16-inch solid concrete block, 53^2 inches thick, and were later fin- 
ished off with cement stucco. The floors are of concrete. In connection with this house Mr. Funk 
also has a large concrete feeding floor. 



122 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



The wall slabs are all 8 feet long and 2 inches in thickness and may 
be varied in width to fit the space to be filled. They may be con- 
veniently made in the mold shown in Figure 107, using the top form 
only. These slabs, as well as those for the roof, should be made of a 
1 :23^:2 mixture. The gravel or stone must be between J^-inch an d Yz- 
inch in size. The width of each slab is 20 inches, with the exception of 
the upper slabs for the ends of the building, which are 14 inches wide 
at the back and 20 inches wide at the front. The reinforcing consists 
of 34-inch round rods, spaced as indicated on the diagram. The slabs 
are raised and slipped into the column recesses, with the assistance of 
the tripod and tackle, and are sealed in place with mortar, this work 
being done as outlined on pages 48 and 51. 




■*>'* HN 4. ■ a 



2 round rods 
Corner - Li n 

-Posta - 



.ong 



% round roas 
lod'inal Roof 

- Beamij- 



kf+«£l 



-l~r\sZ"dia bole 



+-4U 




Recess in one endot longitudinal beam 

Figure 107. Post and Beam Mold, cross sectional views of posts and 
beams for slab shelter house, and plan of a longitudinal beam. 



By removing the cleats used to provide recesses, the mold required 
for casting the posts also serves to cast the longitudinal beams. Four 
of these are required, and the length of each is 8 feet 8 inches. Four 
J^-inch round reinforcing rods are used. Referring to Figure 107, 
bottom illustration, it will be noticed that the ends of both longitudinal 
beams are to be recessed on one side at a point 2^ inches from one end, 
this being necessary to provide slots for the upper end slabs. When 
the house is made more than two sections in length, intermediate longi- 
tudinal beams need not be recessed in this way. 

The longitudinal beams are held in position by steel pins placed in 
the top end of the columns and allowed to extend up through holes in 
the beams. These holes are made by placing wooden plugs in the mold 
and drilling out the plugs when the beams are ready to be put up. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



123 



Where two longitudinal beams adjoin each other, as is the case at the 
center posts on the front and back, a half-round section is left in the 
abutting ends of each, so that the steel pin may come up between them. 
Wire loops placed in these ends, as shown, will aid in holding the beams 
in place. All beams must be laid in a bed of grout or mortar. 

The post mold is also utilized for the purpose of casting the roof 
beams, which are 10 feet long and 8 inches by 8 inches in section, with 
a depression in the top side, into which the roof slabs fit. This de- 
pression is made by placing in the mold a strip of wood of the required 
size. The roof beams are reinforced with four ^-inch round rods and 
two 3^-inch round rods placed as shown in Figure 107. 

The }^-inch rods should be laced to adjacent ^-inch rods with 
baling wire or similar material, at intervals of 12 inches. Concrete of 
a 1:2:4 mixture is used. The distance between beams is 2 feet 83^2 
inches, center to center, and the spacing must be accurate. Between 
beams at the wall line there is a space of 243^2 inches long by 8 inches 
high, which may be filled either by concrete blocks or by concrete 
deposited in place, as desired. 

The roof slabs (See Figure 109) are made in a mold arranged to pro- 
vide lugs or flanges on both sides. For the end slabs, piece (b) is moved 
in 23^2 inches, which gives it a bearing on core (a) and produces a lug 
on only one side, making a slab 2 feet 5j^ inches in width. A pallet 
is necessary for casting these slabs, this being required to hold core 
(a) in position. The sides and ends of the molds are held tightly to the 
pallet by steel clamps, which may be made of heavy wagon tires or 




Figure 108. Concrete Block Hog House on Henry Hanson's Echo Valley Farm, Odeboldt, Iowa. 
Comfortable and airy quarters for the porker inevitably lead to increased profits. Mr. Hanson's 
hog house is pleasing in appearance and moderate in cost. 



124 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



similar material, so bent as to be o}^ inches in width, with one leg 
4 inches long and the other 6 inches long. For casting and roof slabs, 
the clamps bearing upon the block (b) should be placed with the 6-inch 
leg up and the 4-inch leg under the pallet, while for other slabs these 
clamps will be used in the reverse position. 

After the roof slabs have been placed upon the beams, the spaces 
between slabs may be filled with pitch or grout although this is optional 
and not necessary to make the roof watertight. 



Roof slab moid as sin 




—I 2 - , 

Lenqlnwisff reinio.rcemenl 
Crosswise reinforcemenl 



rods 
>ds G'o.c. 



• Seef i on«Roof- 51 a b • 

,-L 



m 



'mhft z 



1-8 



Lenqlhwise reinforcement : 3-^. rods^ 
Crosswise reinforcemenJ" ' ^p" rods \Z o< 

• 3ecHon-Wall»olab« 



^i 2 i 

Lenainwise reiv\orcemen\ : 4- ^ roc 
Crosswise reinforcement: if" rodsto'o.c. 
-Seclion-Ena* fcoof • Slab* 

"J 



V-b'- 

Clam] 



No*. 



lor moKm 



,f slat 



•(b) 



:hes 



r»ove picce(t)} in 2% inch 
Figure 109. Slab Mold. 





Table of Concreting Materials 




Members 


Mixtures 


Cu. ft. Concrete 


Sacks Cement 


Cu. Ft. Sand 


Cu. Ft. Gravel 
or Stone 


Posts 

Beams 

Side Slabs 

Roof Slabs 


1:2 :4 
1:2 :4 

1:2^:2 
1:2^:2 


24.6 

42.8 
24.0 
32.0 


5V 2 

QV2 

9 


11.0 
19.3 
16.6 
22.5 


22.0 
38.0 
13.3 

17.8 



Total 124 Cu. Ft. 30j/£ Sacks 69.4 Cu. Ft. 91.1 Cu. Ft. 

Cement at $2.00 per bbl $15. 25 

Sand at $1.00 per cu. yd 2. 57 

Gravel at $1.00 per cu. yd 3. 38 

Total cost of concreting materials $21. 20 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 125 

REINFORCING METAL— BILL OF MATERIALS 

12 pes. 3^-inch round rod 18 feet long, 144 lbs. at $1.90 per 100 lbs. $ 2. 74 

20 pes. 3^-inch round rod 18 feet long, 135 lbs. at $2.05 per 100 lbs 2. 77 

72 pes. ^-inch round rod 18 feet long, 216 lbs. at $2.30 per 100 lbs 4. 97 

Total cost of reinforcing metal $10. 48 



rjTHE above bill of materials is based upon the economical use of 
the rods. The prices given are quite generally quoted by steel manu- 
facturers in the central states. 

The forms for the various members are simple to construct, and if 
attention is paid to the designs shown in Figures 107 and 109, no further 
instructions should be necessary. 2-inch dressed lumber is best for use 
in all parts of the forms except the pallets or bottom boards, which 
may be made of lighter material if properly supported. 

If it is desired to build this house with monolithic concrete, blocks 
or cement plaster, instead of separately molded members, the slab 
roof may be used in any case with satisfactory results. For a monolithic 
block or cement plaster house the foundation walls should be 6 inches 
in width and deep enough to extend below the frost line, the work 
being done in accordance with instructions given in the chapter on 
"Foundations." If the walls are to be of monolithic construction 
they may be continued up on three sides to a point 5 feet above the 
foundation, leaving the fourth side open. A reinforced column, 5 
feet in length, previously cast in the mold box shown in Figure 107, is 
then placed in position on the open side of the building, midway along 
the foundations. Longitudinal beams of the same type and dimen- 
sions as those used in the unit construction are then placed in posi- 
tion. The roof beams are next put on as heretofore described and the 
side walls built up flush with the tops of the roof columns. As soon 
as the walls are sufficiently hardened the structure is ready for the 
roof slabs. 




Figure 110. An Iowa Hog House equipped with steam heat, King System of ventilating and litter 
carrier system. 



126 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



To construct the house of concrete blocks, the foundation is laid as 
before, care being taken to level off the top. The walls should be laid 
as directed in the chapter on "Concrete Block Walls." The beams used 
over the openings may be the same as those used for the hog house of 
unit construction, the same being true of the roof beams. After the 
latter are in place, the side walls are continued up level with the lower 
end of the roof beams, and the spaces between these beams are filled 
in with blocks or monolithic concrete. The end walls are also continued 
up of monolithic concrete until flush with the tops of the roof beams, 
which are placed in the usual manner. This house will require about 
220 standard 8x 8 x 16-inch blocks and 22 8x8x 8-inch half blocks, if built 
to a height of 5 feet 4 inches between the lower end of the roof and the 
ground. If it is desired to construct the house with cement plaster 
walls, posts, curbs, beams and roof should be erected as for the unit 
house. Metal lath is then stretched around the structure and wired 
to the posts and beams at close enough intervals to make it rigid. Plaster 
coats should be applied to the metal lath as described on page 52. 




Figure 111. Interior of Concrete Milk House and Creamery, Iowana Farm, Davenport, Iowa. In 
a concrete structure absolute cleanliness can be maintained at all times, with a minimum amount 
of work. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



127 




A Five-Pen Hog House of Concrete Blocks 

''PHIS house is designed to shelter a small number of sows with winter 
■*■ litters. It has concrete block walls, and a reinforced concrete roof, 
supported by concrete columns and ridge beams. The concrete floor has 
provision for drainage, and the ventilation system supplies plenty of 
fresh air without compelling the hogs to lie in a draft. Before farrowing 
time the floor of the pen where the sow makes her nest should be covered 
with a mat made of 2 x 4's with a liberal supply of bedding placed upon 
them. These mats may be removed when the pigs are a few weeks old. 

Directions for putting in the foundations for the building will be 
found on pages 15 to 21. The wall blocks, as well as the concrete window 
sills and lintels, may be purchased from the nearest dealer, or made on 
the place with equipment described on pages 45 and 47. The window 
and door framing is simple and can be executed by anyone with a little 
experience in carpentry. 

The piers or footings 
for the support of the center 
columns are put in at the 
same time as the wall 
foundation, box forms, like 
that shown in Figure 112, 
being used. The four ^g- 
inch reinforcing rods for the 
columns must be securely 
embedded in the piers, care 
being taken to space the 
the rods properly. After 
the piers have become hard 
enough to support the 
weight of the columns, 
forms for the latter (See Figure 122) are erected and filled with concrete 
wet enough to be quaky. The tops of the columns should be left 
squared off with reinforcing rods protruding about 8 inches. These will 
later be embedded in the ridge beam above. 

The ridge beam and roof should be cast together as a monolith, 
using forms similar to that shown in Figure 131. Simple box forms, 
supported by light scaffolding, will suffice for the eaves. The reinforc- 
ing rods in the ridge beam should be placed 1% inches above the bottom 
of the beam and wired to the column reinforcing. The stirrups, which 
consist of ^g-inch rods bent into U-shape, are 12 inches high. They are 
placed in pairs, 6 inches to either side of each column and 12 inches 
apart, as shown in the section and elevation of the beam, in Figure 114. 
Two additional 3^2-inch reinforcing rods 4 feet long, are put in above 
each column, about lj^ inches below the top of the beam. 

The concrete for the roof should be mixed wet enough to be mushy, 
and the entire roof should be placed at one operation if practicable. 
Should it be impossible to do the work continuously, the sections must 
be joined together as directed on page 58, (chapter on roofs) making 



f>5*c^S 






■t k :ir 



<<y<, ivy <f^/^ r ;- 









v , - 



Figure 112. Simple Box Mold for Column Footing. 



128 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




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UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



129 




130 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



all joints run from ridge to eave, and never in any other direction. A 
mixture of 1:2:4 should be used for the ridge beam and body of the 
roof. The roof should be finished off in the same manner as a sidewalk 
and protected against sun, wind and frost for two weeks by covering 
with wet straw, weighted down to keep it in place. The forms must be 
left in place until the roof is thoroughly hardened and all doubts as to 
the strength of the work removed. 

Proportions (See page 157). 

Foundations and Apron, Specification D. 

Floor, and Body of Sills and Lintels, Specification C. 

Body of Concrete Blocks, Columns, Beams and Roof Slab, Speci- 
fication B. 

Mortar Facing for Blocks, Sills and Lintels, and for Laying Blocks, 
1 :2 cement and sand. 

Table of Materials 



Foundations 

Apron 

r Body. . . . 
Concrete Blocks ] c e 

( burtace. . 

Sills and Lintels 

Columns 

Roof Beams 

Roof 

Floor 



VOL. 
Cu. Yds 



9.45 
5.40 



.70 

.70 

6.80 

8.50 



MIX- 
TURE 



%y 2 :5 

2:4 

2 

2^:4 

2:4 

2:4 

2:4 

2^:4 



CEMENT 
Bbls. Sacks 



11.72 
6.70 

12.85 
3.10 
2.15 
1.06 
1.06 

10.28 

11.80 



47.00 

27.00 

52.00 

12.50 

8.50 

4.00 

4.00 

41.00 

47.00 



SAND 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



4.35 

2.50 

3.85 

.70 

.80 

.32 

.32 

3.06 

4.33 



117.2 

67.5 

104.00 

19.0 

21.5 

8.5 

8.5 

82.5 

118.0 



Cu 



STONE 
Yds. Cu.Ft. 



62 
62 
06 
96 



235.0 
135.0 
205.0 

34.0 

16.5 

16.5 

163.5 

188.0 



Total 60. 72 Bbls. 11. 23 Cu.Yds. 36. 81 Cu.Yds. 

Allowing for a sufficient quantity of 1 :2 cement and sand mortar, the total concreting 
materials necessary will be about 64 barrels of cement, 12.5 cubic yards of sand and 37 cubic 
yards of screened gravel or crushed stone. 




Figure 115. Concrete Hog House on Barber Estate, Barberton, Ohio. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



131 



Approximate amount of Reinforcing required: 

Crosswise Reinforcing in Roof, 68 ^-i ncn ro ds 16 feet long Weight 408 Lbs. 

Lengthwise Reinforcing in Roof, 48 ^g-inch rods 16 feet long Weight 288 Lbs. 

Column Reinforcing, 20 ^g-inch rods 12 feet long Weight 90 Lbs. 

Ridge Beam Reinforcing, 6 ^-inch rods 16 feet long Weight 64 Lbs. 

Stirrups, 6 J^-inch rods 12 feet long Weight 48 Lbs. 

Total 898 Lbs. 

(Order about 10 per cent extra to allow for waste.) 



Concrete Blocks, Sills and Lintels 

20 corner blocks 8"x8"xl6" 

485 wall blocks 8"x8"xl6" 

19 % wall blocks .' 8"x8"xl2" 

113 K wall blocks 8"x8"x 8" 

16 % wall blocks 8"x8"x 4" 

13 special blocks, 4" high, 8" long, 8" thick, to fit around window sills. 

20 sills 32" long, 4" high, 10" thick 

20 lintels 32" long, 8" high, 8" thick 

2 lintels 40" long, 8" high, 8" thick 



TF it is desired to build the house with monolithic concrete walls, the 
■*- work may be carried on in the same manner as for the larger structure 
described on pages 137 to 140 of this booklet. The walls should be 
8 inches in thickness, made of a mixture of 1 sack of Portland cement to 
%}/2 cubic feet coarse sand, to 5 cubic feet screened gravel or crushed 
stone. If these proportions do not give as smooth surfaces as desired, 
the amount of stone should be decreased until a l:2j/£:4 mixture is 
obtained. Sufficient reinforcing must be placed around the window 
and door openings. 

The following ma- i — - j 

terials will be needed * | 

to build monolithic 
walls for this struc- 
ture: 16.5 barrels 
of cement, 6 cubic 
yards of sand and 
12 cubic yards of 
stone. A good de- 
scription of the 
forms required for 
this work will be 
found in the chapter 
on "Monolithic 
Walls " pages 32 

. . . ' V ° Figure 116. Concrete Block Calf and Hog House on farm of C. S. 

tO 44. McNett, Cary, Illinois. Built by the owner. 




132 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




Figure 117. WINTER HOG HOUSE SCENES 

(1) Jacob Brinkman's Hog House, Early, Iowa. Dimensions, 22 feet by 40 feet. Cost, $300. 

(2) P. Schaller's Hog House, Early, Iowa. Dimensions, 18 feet by 36 feet. Cost, $300. 

(3) K. J. Ammentorp's Hog House, Withree, Wisconsin. Dimensions, 35 feet by 9 feet. Cost, $160. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 133 



A Five-Pen Cement Plaster Hog House 

HPHE unit-frame, plaster- wall hog house shown in Figure 118 is de- 
-*" signed to meet practically the same requirements as the one 
described on the pages immediately preceding, varying widely from the 
latter, however, in the method of construction. The walls are cement 
stucco applied to metal lath, which is supported upon a frame of re- 
inforced concrete columns and beams, and stiffened by vertical and 
horizontal reinforcing rods. 

In constructing the house, the procedure should be about as follows: 
The necessary columns and beams are first cast in mold boxes similar 
to those shown in Figure 107, of a mixture of 1 sack Portland cement to 
2 cubic feet of clean, coarse sand, to 4 cubic feet screened gravel or 
crushed stone. The required number of columns and beams, their 
sizes and amount of reinforcing metal in each, is given in the following 
table. Reinforcing rods should be placed lj^ inches in from each corner, 
but need not be wired together in the manner heretofore described. 
Two of the reinforcing rods on corners diagonally opposite should be 
allowed to project 3 inches from the bottom of the column; this may be 
accomplished by boring holes in the ends of the molds and allowing the 
rods to project through. When the columns are set up these rods will 
be grouted into holes drilled into the foundation wall. Small pieces 
of fence wire should be placed in the sides of the columns which are to 
face out, these being used later to secure reinforcing rods and metal 
lath. These wires should be placed in the columns 12 inches apart. 

The columns and beams should be given an opportunity to thorough- 
ly harden and acquire strength before being placed in position, and dur- 
ing this period the foundation and center column footings should be 
put in. This foundation should be 12 inches wide and 2 feet 6 inches 
deep, while the footings or piers should be 1 foot 6 inches square for the 
first 6 inches, and 12 inches square for the 2 feet above, as shown in 
the sectional view of the house. 

When the tops of the foundations and piers are being leveled off, 
two 2-inch holes, 3^ inches deep, should be left at intervals of 7 feet 
along the foundation, and also on the top of each pier. These holes 
may be made by inserting in the work galvanized iron tubes, which 
are easily withdrawn later. They must be correctly spaced, of course, 
to receive the protruding reinforcing rods from the columns. Just 
before the columns are placed in position, the holes are filled with grout 
of a creamy consistency. The columns are then placed, and the rein- 
forcing rods forced down through the grout, which soon hardens, giving 
a good bond. 

The roof beams are next erected in the same manner as for the unit 
shelter house (see page 119). The monolithic slab roof is 3J/2 inches 
thick. The roof forms may be erected the same as those for the con- 
crete block house. The reinforcing consists of ^-inch rods spaced 12 
inches apart, lengthwise, and 7 inches apart crosswise, placed ^-inch 
above the bottom of the roof. Additional reinforcing, consisting of 
^8-inch rods, 3 feet long, spaced 7 inches apart, should be put in astride 



134 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



a 

r r 






ZT 
O 

H 
I do/ 

<<£ 



n— 



m 



.4 

I 
I I 



1 T o 



Pn_ 





UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO.. 



135 







136 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



of the ridge, as shown, one inch below the surface. The work must be 
surfaced with a steel trowel, and if difficulty is found in obtaining a 
smooth finish, a small amount of 1:2 mortar may be added. The roof 
must be protected from sun, wind and freezing, as heretofore described. 

To the outside of the reinforced concrete frame J^-inch vertical 
reinforcing rods are wired at intervals of not more than 18 inches, so 
spaced that vertical reinforcing will fall 2 inches to each side of all 
window and door openings. If desired, the lower ends of these rods 
may be grouted into holes drilled in the top of the foundation. Only 
one horizontal reinforcing rod is required, this being a 3^-inch rod, 
placed 3 feet 3 inches above the top of the foundation. The horizontal 
rod is wired to the vertical rods at each intersection. 

Wire lath (described on page 53) may be obtained iu convenient 
widths, and will be found a suitable material to receive the 
cement plaster. It should be wired to the reinforcing rods at intervals 
sufficient to hold it perfectly rigid, special care being taken to wire all 
laps so that both sections of the lath will act as a unit. Lath should be 
wired at intervals of not over 12 inches. The cement plaster coats 
should be applied according to the directions given on pages 52 to 57. 
If the frame is not sufficiently rigid to hold the first coat readily, 
temporary wood bracing should be put up. This may be removed as 
soon as the first coat is hard. Three coats should be applied to the outside 
of the wall, and one coat to the inside. The metal lath should be entirely 
encased in cement plaster, as exposed portions are subject to rust, 
which in the course of a short time causes the wall to be weakened 
materially. 

Proportions (See page 157). 

Foundations and Apron, Specification D. 

Floor, Specification C. 

Columns, Beams and Roof Slab, Specification B. 

Plaster Walls, 1 'StYl cement and sand mortar. 



Table of Materials 



Foundations and Footings. 

Apron 

Columns and Beams 

Plaster Walls* 

Roof 

Floor 



VOL. 
Cu. Yds 



10.80 
3.70 

4.77 



6.25 
0.50 



MIX- 
TURE 



CEMENT 
Bbls. Sacks 



1:2^:5 


13.40 


53.60 


1:2^:5 


4.58 


18.32 


1:2:4 


7.20 


28.80 


1:1H 


17.00 


68.00 


1:2:4 


9.44 


37.76 


1:2^:4 


9.04 


36. 16 



SAND 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



4.96 
1.70 
2.15 
3.75 
2.81 
3. 32 



134.0 
46.0 
58.0 

101.3 
76.0 
89.7 



STONE 

Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



9.94 


268.0 


3.40 


91.8 


4.25 


115.0 


5.56 


150.0 


5.34 


144.0 



Total 60. 66 Bbls. 18. 69 Cu.Yds. 28. 49 Cu.Yds. 

*Based on 1:13^ cement plaster walls 2 inches thick, making no allowance for waste. 
At least 15 per cent additional material is generally required for the walls to take care of 
waste. See Table E, page 54. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 137 



A Large Reinforced Concrete Piggery 

IX/TUCH has been said of late both in favor of and in opposition to 
^' J - the centralized hog house. The large piggery has unquestioned 
advantages in the way of facilitating feeding and cleaning, as well as 
providing opportunity for use of artificial heat for winter farrowing 
and affording a good place to fatten pigs for market. On the other 
hand, the objection has been raised that with the centralized hog house, 
as ordinarily constructed of wood, there is greater danger from disease. 
However, with a concrete building all danger will be removed if ordinary 
care is taken and the house properly disinfected from time to time. 

Figure 120 shows the ground plan and elevation, and Figure 121 the 
details of a large monolithic piggery having 24 ordinary pens, 1 special 
pen and a feed room. The walls are of monolithic concrete reinforced 
as directed on pages 39 to 44. (See elevation views, Figure 120.) The 
roof is of reinforced beam and panel construction, with windows set at 
proper angle to throw the sunlight down into the pens on the north 
side of the house during February, when it is most desired for early 
litters. The roof panels are supported by 8 x 15-inch beams placed 
on 7-foot 4-inch centers, these beams resting upon 8 x 8-inch columns. 
The floor is laid upon a sub-base of well tamped gravel or cinders, and is 
given a slope of J^-inch to the foot toward the drains, which are con- 
veniently located to either side of the passageway. 

The excavating for foundations and column footings, buildings of 
the forms and placing of the concrete may be carried on according to 
directions furnished in the chapter on "Foundations." The foundations 
have a width of 10 inches and a depth of 3 feet below the bottom of the 
hog doors. As soon as they have become sufficiently strong, the wall 
forms should be erected according to the directions given on pages 33 
to 35. 

Fifteen inches below the top of the inside of the wall, recesses 4 inches 
in depth, 8 inches wide and 15 inches high must be left for the roof 
beams. These recesses must be accurately spaced, so that they will 
be exactly opposite the corresponding columns. The recesses may be 
easily made by means of small core boxes. 

For a house of this size it is advisable to build forms enough for 
but three or four columns and a like number of roof beams, unless the 
owner or the contractor will be able to make use of the additional lumber 
later. As soon as the walls are up, the columns, beams, and roof should 
be put up according to the following procedure: Forms similar to those 
shown in Figure 122, diagram A, should be erected for four columns 
and four roof beams. The columns should then be poured up to the 
under side of the lower roof beams. The reinforcing should be put in 
as directed in the description on page 39 and illustrated in Figure 35. 
As soon as the forms may safely be removed the next four columns 
are cast in a similar manner, this work continuing until these members 
are all in place. 



138 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



139 




140 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



iVz'cIeafa 3-0 o< 




•Clomps IS aporf on a side, 
alfernofinq with clamps 
on ofher sides 

f lurnoer 
■Znd slotted 



(P) K% rod 

SECTION COLUMN MOLD 



5 l^d Vo^ai^ 21'Jq''^.*2.^3 i.^'^-D'l.'^ 

I'tanque and grooved lumber)!^ 
ZsC '-Z'-o" oc. 




(b) 



BEAM AND SLA5 fOUriO 

Figure 122. Sectional Views of Molds for Monolithic 
Columns, Roof Beams and the Roof Proper; the lower 
diagram shows the method of temporarily discon- 
tinuing roof work over beams. 



D. Walls and Floors, Specification C. 
and Roof Slabs, Specification B. Sills 



Forms for the roof beams 
and slabs and that portion of 
the columns above the lower 
beams, are then put up for a 
distance sufficient to in- 
clude four panels. The beam 
molds are next filled and the 
roof is concreted to a depth 
of 3 3^2 inches. When tem- 
porarily discontinuing work, 
concreting should be stopped 
directly over a beam, in the 
manner shown in Figure 122, 
Diagram (b) . The reinforcing 
should not be severed at the 
point where concreting is left 
off. Before resuming work 
the concrete previously placed 
should be thoroughly cleaned, 
moistened and painted with 
grout. 

Proportions (See page 157) . 
Foundations, Column Foot- 
ings and Apron, Specification 
Columns, Posts, Roof Beams 
and Lintels, Specification A. 



Table of Materials 



Foundations 

Column Footings. 

Apron 

Walls 

Floor 

Columns 

Posts 

Roof Beams 

North Roof Slab. 
South Roof Slab. 
Window Sills 



VOL. 


MIX- 


Cu. Yds 


TURE 


15.12 


1:23^:5 


2.36 


1:2^:5 


7.03 


1:23^:5 


40.58 


1:2^:4 


31.25 


1:2^:4 


1.92 


1:2:4 


0.20 


1:2:4 


7.22 


1:2:4 


15.75 


1:2:4 


9.38 


1:2:4 


0.40 


1:2:3 



CEMENT 
Bbls. 



18.75 


75.00 


2.93 


11.72 


8.73 


34.92 


61.35 


245.40 


43.50 


174.00 


2.90 


11.60 


0.31 


1.24 


10.89 


43.56 


23.62 


94.48 


14.18 


56.72 


0.65 


2.60 



SAND 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



6.96 
1.08 
3.23 
18.22 
15. 93 
0.86 
0.09 
3.24 
7.09 
4.22 
0.18 



187.8 

29.2 

87.3 

492.5 

430.1 

23.2 

2.4 

87.6 

191.4 

113.8 

4.9 



STONE 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



13.91375.6 



2.17 
6.47 



58.4 
174.6 



36.10 985.0 
25.60 692.0 



1.71 
0.18 
6.42 



46.4 

4.8 

173.2 



14.18362.9 
8.35227.6 
0.36' 9.8 



Total 187. 81 Bbls. 61. 10 Cu.Yds. 115. 45 Cu.Yds 

Approximate amount of Reinforcing Metal required: 

5500 feet H-inch round rods Weight 4700 Lbs. 

6800 feet ^-inch round rods Weight 2550 Lbs. 

250 feet 34-inch round rods Weight 50 Lbs. 

Total 7300 Lbs. 

(Add about 10 per cent to allow for waste in cutting.) 







UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 141 



Interior Fittings for Hog Houses 

Floors. Concrete hog house floors must be built in such a manner 
that they can be easily cleaned, and the surface must be rough enough 
to prevent the animals from slipping. The floor should be rounded 
up to walls, so as to eliminate all square corners, where dirt usually 
collects. Make the floor slope toward a central drain, avoiding dips 
and hollows which hold the water and prevent the floor from drying 
off rapidly after cleaning. (See chapter on Floors, page 23.) The floors 
of farrowing pens should be covered with removable board mats, made 
of 2x4-inch timbers, spaced about j^g-inch apart. These mats need 
only to cover the corner of the pen where the sow lies down, and should 
not be nailed or fastened in any way that will prevent removal for 
cleaning. 

Drainage. The hog house floors 
should frequently be flushed to keep 
them sanitary. Drainage must be 
taken care of either by covered con- 
duits or open gutters draining into 
a cesspool. A sectional view of a 
gutter and template for making it 
are shown in Figure 123. If a con- 
duit is preferred it may be placed 
either in the center or at the side 

p ,i j ,i n Figure 123. Type of open drain and template 

ol the passageway and the noor tor forming the gutter. 
made to slope toward it. It should 

be wide enough to admit a shovel for cleaning out, and the depth should 
vary, giving it a slope of J^-inch to the foot toward the cesspool. Con- 
duits should be covered with reinforced concrete slabs. 

Gutters will be found satisfactory if made in about the shape shown 
and approximately the dimensions given in the figure. Houses with a 
single row of pens will require one gutter placed in the floor of the 
passageway on the side adjacent to the pens, while for houses with 
double rows, a gutter on each side of the passageway will be necessary. 
A uniform shape will be obtained if the work is finished off with a wooden 
template similar to that shown in the illustration. 

Pens. The pens are conveniently made nearly square in shape, 
and should have partitions, doors and gates arranged to provide one 
corner free from drafts, where the sow can make her nest. The feed 
trough will be conveniently placed along the side parallel to the passage- 
way, and the partition on that side of the pen should be made to swing 
on hinges, as shown in Figure 126. This arrangement makes it possible 
to keep the pigs out of the trough while the feed is being put in, greatly 
simplifying the work. 

Partitions. The partitions may be of concrete or of wood. Wire 
fences are undesirable, because they allow sows in adjoining pens to 
worry each other, often making trouble at farrowing time. Concrete 
partitions of unit, monolithic, block or plaster construction have been 



142 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



used with success and are recommended as preferable to wood. Unit 
construction should be selected wherever there is an advantage of mak- 
ing the partitions portable. 

An ideal partition for monolithic, cement plaster or concrete block 
structures may be made of reinforced concrete slabs 2 inches thick, 
12 inches in width and of convenient length to fit the space to be filled. 
These may be slipped into slots made of 3-inch, 4-pound channel iron, 
fastened to the walls and columns by countersunk screws secured to 
wooden blocks or expansion bolts placed in the wall when the latter are 
put up. 

In the case of monolithic structures, concrete slab partitions may 
be constructed without the use of channel iron by casting vertical slots in 
the walls and posts. The slots should extend up 3 feet 6 inches from the 
floor line, and the top 8 inches should be deep enough to allow the slab 
to slip in or out. These should be provided in the same manner as for 
the small unit shelter house described elsewhere in this booklet. The 
illustration, Figure 125, indicates the methods of fastening channel 
bars to the wall, and of casting the slots or recesses in walls and columns. 

Fenders. To prevent the young pigs from being crushed by the 
sows during the first few weeks, fenders, or guard rails, should be pro- 
vided for at least three sides of all brood pens. These fenders must be 
8 to 10 inches above the floor and extend out about 8 inches from the 
wall. 





Figure 124. Several Types of Fenders or Guard Rails suggested for use in 
concrete hog houses. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



143 



-Wall or wall column 

Beveled slors 




Block of wood or 
expansion bol 






Figure 125. Concrete Slab Partition, made of 2 by 12-inch slabs, which fit into slots cast in the walls, 
or 3-inch channel iron screwed to wood blocks or wall plugs. 




They must be heavy enough to support the weight of the sow, and 
should have no sharp corners, Figure 124 shows six types of fenders 
and fender hangers which can easily be adapted to average require- 
ments. Sketch A shows a fender made of two-by-fours with strap 
iron hangers, suitable for use with block walls; sketch E shows the 
use of specially shaped fender blocks laid in block walls; C shows a 
double fender block to be used below concrete slab or plank partitions, 
and D a fender with angle iron hanger for monolithic walls; B and F 
show two-by-four fenders with strap iron and wooden bracket supports. 

Gates. In hog houses having a row of pens on each side of the 
passage, there is an advantage in hanging pen gates directly opposite 
each other. If this be done, any pair of opposite gates may be swung 
back until they meet or overlap, and then fastened to act as a barrier 
when the animals are being moved from one pen to another. If the 
gates are hung 6 inches above the floor, young pigs will be able to get 
into the passage for exercise. Boards of proper size may be made to 
slip into slots below the gates to be used when it is desired to keep the 
pigs within the pens. 

Troughs. The troughs for a concrete hog house should always 
be of concrete. Steel or iron quickly rusts and leaks; wood absorbs 
the moisture, becomes sour and rots. Forms for concrete troughs are 
easy to build, and can be made of odd ends of lumber at no additional 
expense. The trough shown in Figure 126 will be satisfactory for use 
in any of the hog houses here described, being of convenient size and 
having a capacity of about 2J/2 gallons. 

A form for casting a trough upside down, using an earth core, is 
shown in sketch B, Figure 127. On a concrete floor, or after leveling 
off a plat of ground somewhat larger than the proposed trough, build 
up the core, approximately to shape, out of plastic earth or clay, using 
the template as a gauge. The bottomless box can then be placed. If on 
the ground, stakes should be driven about the form to insure it against 



144 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



movement in any direction; if on a concrete floor, the box may be held 
in position with weights, or by braces secured to some nearby object. 
The core is then worked up to the exact shape desired by using the form 
as a guide for the template. In this manner uniform thickness is in- 
sured on each side. The height of the core will be equal to the depth 
of the trough, and the height of the template will be equal to the height 
of the trough. Considerable care must be exercised in working around 
the earth core, to see that it is not damaged. A shield should be pro- 
vided to prevent the fresh concrete from knocking off pieces of the core, 
thus producing an irregular inner surface. 

The trough shown in sketch D is similar in construction to that 
shown at "B" with the exception that a wooden core is substituted 
for the one of earth and the casting is done on a wooden pallet instead 

of on the ground. 

The trough shown in sketch "E" can 
readily be cast on a wooden pallet or in 
place such as on a solid foundation or a 
concrete floor. In the latter two cases 
the wooden pallet will be omitted. 

After the reinforcing and concrete for 
the'base of the trough has been placed, the 
remaining concrete must be worked into 
place with a trowel and struck off with 
the template. A mortar top is then placed 
with the trowel and finished to a smooth 
surface. 



The reinforcing for troughs consists 
either of poultry netting or J^-inch iron 
rods, or a combination of the two. 
Where the tank is to be moved after be- 
ing made, both the poultry wire and 
rods are recommended as shown in 
sketch "C." The spacing of the rods 
may vary somewhat but will generally 
be about 4 inches center to center. 




2. mesh 

neWma 



poultry 



ge 
be 



Where the trough is cast in place 
and will never be moved, either the 
rods or poultry netting is sufficient. 

Since the troughs are all of approxi- 
mately the same section, the capacity 
will vary only with the length, and for 
each 10 feet of length about V/i sacks 

of cement, 3 cubic feet sand and 5 cubic feet of gravel or crushed stone 

will be required. 



Figure 126. Concrete Trough and 
Trough Gate to prevent hogs from 
etting to trough while the slop is 
ing put in. For the houses de- 
scribed in this booklet, troughs 
should be 12 inches wide, 10 inches 
high and 4 feet long, with a depth of 
6 inches. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



145 



CONCREK TROUGHS. 




Z' MC3H FOUL TRY MTTIN& 



Figure 127. Concrete Troughs suitable for use in concrete hog houses. 



146 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



Concrete Root Cellars 

TN most of the Northern States root cellars are commonly used for 
■*- the storage of potatoes, turnips and other vegetables from the time 
of gathering until marketed. Such cellars are also used for the storage 
of roots which are fed to cattle. 

Concrete is an ideal material with which to construct root cellars, 
because it will not rot out or wear out, as will most other substances. 
Many of the first cellars were constructed of wooden planking, but 
experience has shown that this material cannot be depended upon for 
any considerable length of time, because, being surrounded and covered 
with earth, the planks are always moist, and beside being affected by 
the moisture, bow out of place from the pressure of the dirt. It is quite 
general practice, however, to build root cellars so that the floor is a 
few feet below the ground line and with this construction it is not nec- 
essary to bank the ground up so high around them. In a few cases 
root cellars have been built with floors on the ground level and dirt 
has been banked up around the cellar so as to completely cover it, 
effectually protecting the walls from the heat of the sun. 

It is a good plan to provide several openings in the roof through 
which the vegetables may be shoveled when filling the cellar. These 
openings need not be larger than 2 feet square, and should be provided 
with suitable covers to fit tightly into place when not in use. A venti- 
lator should also be provided in the roof of the cellar. 

The space beneath the approach to the second floor of a barn is 
often utilized for the storage of roots. With such an arrangement it 




Figure 128. Concrete Root Cellar, University Farm, St. Paul, Minnesota. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



147 



is possible for wagons to stop on the approach and unload the vege- 
tables directly through the opening. A root cellar so located is conven- 
ient to the barn and double use is thereby made of the walls, which also 
take the place of retaining walls for the approach. The design of the 
arch top root cellar shown in Figure 130, page 148, closely follows that 
suggested in Bulletin No. 90, by Professors J. H. Shepperd and O. O. 
Churchill of the North Dakota Experiment Station, while the second 
design, of a small flat top cellar, was recently prepared by our Informa- 
tion Bureau in answer to an inquiry. Additional information regarding 
root cellars can be secured by addressing Professor J. H. Sheppard or Pro- 
fessor R. M. Dolve of the North Dakota Experiment Station at Fargo. 



Reinforced Concrete Root Cellar with Arched Roof 

rTTHE design presented in Figure 130 is for an arched top root cellar 
•^ with a capacity of 5000 bushels when the bins are filled to a height of 
6 feet. Larger or smaller cellars may be built without any other altera- 
tion to the plan than to lengthen or shorten the building as desired. 

The footings upon which the walls rest are 12 inches broad and 12 
inches deep, the top of the footings being 6 feet 6 inches below ground 
level, as shown in section A-A, Figure 130. The inside wall forms are 
constructed of 2 by 6's running horizontally braced by 2 by 4's running 
vertically and spaced 18 inches center to center. The 2 by 4's extend 
from the top of the wall to the sub-grade. The column forms are 
constructed of two 2 by 10-inch and two 2 by 8-inch boards, and rest 
on the column footings, forms for which are shown in Figure 112, page 




Figure 129. A Good Concrete Root Cellar, on Iowana Farm, near Davenport, Iowa. The cellar is 
almost entirely below ground, and has a reinforced concrete arched roof. 



148 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 












1 




<3 


!!!i lit! 




i 






<£ 




UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



149 



127. The column forms are braced by 2 by 4's placed on opposite sides 
of the column, and wired together as shown in Figure 131. The 2 by 
4's should be spaced no farther than 18 inches apart, center to center. 

The girder forms are constructed of 2 by 6 inch boards and are sup- 
ported by two 2 by 4's wired together, there being two such supports 
between each column. These supports may rest on blocks or flat stones, 
and can be brought to the desired height by wedges. On the girder 
forms are blocks fastened to support the three 2 by 12's as shown. 
The 2 by 12-inch pieces can be cut to shape by the following method: 
Draw a circle on the barn floor with a radius 2 inches less than the radius 
required to give the proper curvature to the arch roof, which is 14 feet. 
For this purpose use a sweep with a soft pencil attached to one end. 
Do not use cord and chalk as the former will stretch enough to distort 
the circle and the latter will make too wide a line. 

The concrete should be mixed to such a consistency that it will flow 
readily to all parts of the forms with very little puddling or churning. 
It should be well spaded to force the larger stones back from the surface 
and bring the finer material to the surface, thus producing a more dense 
concrete. The roof slab and girder should be cast in one operation, 
the forms (shown in Figure 131) having been designed with that idea in 
view 

The reinforcing for the wall consists of ^-inch round rods spaced 
24 inches apart, center to center, both vertically and horizontally. The 
roof is reinforced with ^g-inch round rods spaced 6 inches, center to 
center, in a crosswise direction, and 2 feet, center to center, longi- 
tudinally. The forms should be left in place from two to three weeks after 
the placing of the concrete, or until all doubts have been removed as to 
the ability of the structure to carry the loads to be imposed upon it. 




FOR/15 FOR CASTM6 W/JLL M 
Figure 131 



FORMS FOR CtyT/riG ROOF W/TH SIDE W//LL5 C/7ST 
Sectional Detailed View of Root Cellar Wall and Forms. 



150 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



Four openings, each 3 feet square, are provided in the roof, through 
which the cellar may be filled. Concrete casings for these openings may be 
easily formed, and should project about 2 inches above the surface so 
that a cover with a rim surrounding the casing may be placed on when 
the opening is not in use. The casing may be made with the aid of a 
small box mold. The ventilator shown in the figure should also be in 
place before concreting. The concrete stairway should preferably be 
covered with doors, so as to keep out snow and rain. 

The interior is divided into a central alleyway, 4 feet 8 inches wide, 
and ten storage bins, five on either side of the alley. This arrangement 
gives bins of convenient size, but any other arrangement desired can 
easily be worked out. The plank partitions are held in place by grooves 
in the walls and in the posts, making them readily removable. 

Table of Materials 



Footings 

Column Footings 

Floors 

Walls including entrance way 

Stairs 

Columns 

Beams 

Roof 



Cu. Yd. 



5.68 

0.30 

16.70 

27.90 

0.89 

1.15 

3.64 

16.18 



MIX- 
TURE 



1:2^:5 
1:23^:5 
1:23^:4 
1:23^:4 
1:2^:4 



1:2 
1:2 
1:2 



CEMENT 
Bbls. Sacks 



7.40 

0.39 

23.20 

38.80 

1.25 

1.50 

5.72 

24.21 



29.60 
1.56 

92.80 

155.20 

5.00 

6.00 

22.88 

96.84 



SAND 

Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



2.62 
0.14 
8.52 
14.60 
.45 
0.53 
1.60 
7.13 



70.70 

3.78 

230. 00 

395.00 

12.20 

14.30 

43.20 

192.30 



GRAVEL 

Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



5.24 

0.28 

13.70 

22.90 

.73 

1.06 

3.20 

14.26 



141.50 
7.56 

370. 00 

618.00 
19.70 
28.60 
86.40 

384. 50 



Total 102. 47 Bbls. 35. 60 Cu.Yds. 61. 37 Cu.Yds. 

Approximate amount of Reiniorcing required: 

5200 feet %-inch rods Weight 1950 Lbs. 

482 feet 3^-inch rods Weigh t 322 Lbs. 

Total 2272 Lbs. 



Reinforced Concrete Root Cellar with Flat Slab Roof 



TN most cases where a small root cellar is required the design shown 
■*■ in Figure 132 will probably answer. The cellar consists of a rectangular 
room or cave with wing walls extending across the front, to retain the 
dirt fill around the structure and prevent it from working down around 
the doorway. The cellar may be located wholly, or partially, below 
ground as desired, but the load upon the roof slab should be limited to 
the weight of 2 feet 6 inches of dirt, or its equivalent. If the cellar is 
located below ground it must not be driven over. This cellar is of such 
a design that it may be made larger or smaller by merely changing the 
length. 

The footings, which must be located below the frostline, need be only 9 
inches in depth and 14 inches in width. They may be constructed with- 
out forms, but the top should be leveled off sufficiently to provide a 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



151 



good base for the wall forms. The walls should be made 8 inches thick 
to withstand the pressure of the earth from without. 

The door opening in the front wall of the structure should be3 
feet in width and 6 feet in height, and may be formed by placing within 
the wall forms a suitable frame. The concrete above the doorway in 




P 

n 
* • 






-U- 






$4 



LL|TL-|Xm 





152 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



the front wall will 
act as a beam, and 
should be reinforced 
with three J^-inch 
round rods as shown 
in the elevation and 
longitudinal section. 
The roof slab 
should be made 5 
inches thick, and 
should be reinforced 
with Yl- inch round 
rods spaced lOinches 
apart, center to cen- 
ter, from front to 
back of the structure, 
and 6 inches apart, 
center to center, in 
a crosswise direction. 
The spacing of 10 
inches, center to cen- 
ter, will be main- 
tained regardless of 
the length of the 
cellar. All reinforcing rods in the roof should be bent so that the ends 
will extend down into the walls a distance of 12 inches. The roof 
should be provided with a small ventilator. For further instructions 
as to the construction of the roof, the reader is referred to pages 58 to 67. 

Proportions (See page 157). 

Footings and Base of Floor, Specification D. 

Walls, Specification C. 

Roof, Specification B. 

Surface Coat for Floor, 1 :2 cement and sand mortar. 




Figure 133. Monolithic Root Cellar with Wing Walls, on a Min- 
nesota Farm, property of E. J. Longyear, Minneapolis. 



Table of Concreting Materials 



Footings 

pi j Base. . . 
( Surface. 

Walls 

Roof 



Cu. Yds 
Con- 
crete 



1.95 

2.23 

.34 

10.7 

2.66 



MIX- 
TURE 



1:2^:5 

1:23^:5 

1:2 

1:2^:4 

1:2:4 



CEMENT 
Bbls. Sacks 



2.42 
2.77 
1.09 
14.86 
4.03 



9.68 
11.08 

4.36 
59.44 
16 12 



SAND 

C.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



.90 
1.03 

.32 
5.45 
1.19 



24.40 

27.80 

8.60 

147. 00 

32.00 



GRAVEL 

Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



1.80 
2.06 

8.77 
2.37 



48.60 
55.80 

237. 00 
64.00 



Total 25.17 Bbls. .8.90 Cu.Yds. 15.00 Cu.Yds. 



Steel required for Roof Reinforcing: 

40 3^-inch round rods, 8 feet long Total Length 320 Feet (Cross Reinforcing) 

10 J^-inch round rods, 21 feet long Total Length 210 Feet (Longitudinal Reinforcing^ 

Total 530 Feet = 354 Lbs. Steel. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 153 



Concrete Machine Sheds 

TT is a well known fact that the farmers of this country are extremely 
-*- negligent when it comes to the matter of protecting their farming 
implements. Even the largest and most expensive pieces of machinery, 
such as harvesters and traction engines, are frequently seen standing out 
exposed to the weather, resulting in an enormous annual loss through 
depreciation. The International Harvester Co. states that experi- 
ence shows 75 per cent of the annual depreciation is due to exposure to 
the weather, while only 25 per cent is due to wear and tear. This means 
that by keeping farm machines in a good dry house and otherwise caring 
for them when not in use, their period of usefulness can be increased to 
three or four times the life of the machines left exposed to the weather. 

Occasionally space is provided in the barn for the storage of the 
implements, but in most cases room for storage purposes is at a premium, 
and the arrangement of the barn makes it necessary frequently to move 
stored implements from one location to another in order to facilitate 
the work. This and other considerations make it desirable to store all 
machinery, tools, etc., in a building especially designed and built for 
the purpose. 

The size and shape of the implement house should conform to the 
number and size of the objects to be stored. For this reason it is difficult 
to present in a single design anything likely to be applicable in a large 
number of cases. The house may be made with either all four sides 
closed, or with one side open. In case the house is put up with an open 
side, this side should be to the south or the east, to admit the sun and 
keep out winter storms which generally come from the north or the west. 
In houses having all four sides closed, several large doors should be pro- 
vided along one side to facilitate the movement of implements in and 
out. To give plenty of room for the larger implements, the house should 
be about 16 feet deep and the distance between columns or upright 
supports should be about 12 feet to take in the widest machines. The 
roof need not be over 8 feet in height and may be lower if desired. The 
house should be built long and low, somewhat after the general lines of 
a wagon shed. Future additions can be added to the end, thus giving 
the house the advantages of a unit structure. 

In a recent number of the Dakota Farmer, W. Leonard, of Spink 
County, South Dakota, describes his machine shed in the following 
words : 

"This shed is 84 feet long and 16 feet wide, standing on slightly sloping ground. The 
wall is 6 inehes thick, made of concrete. The foundation at the high corner is 6 feet high, 
and the lower corner is 3 feet high. 

"Will tell you what we have in this shed at present: The first three apartments are 
12 feet, from center to center of posts, and the other six are 8 feet. In the first apartment 
on the north end, there are two 11 -foot grain drills, one broadcast seeder, two listers and a 
walking plow; in the second a disc, manure spreader, corn planter and gang plow. In the 
third are two grain binders and bottoms for plows; and in the first two 8-foot apartments 
are two farm wagons. In the third and fourth are a corn binder, a corn plow, top buggy 
and a surrey. The south end is used as a repair shop, where a little of everything is at 
hand. Overhead in this shed is plenty of room for seed corn, side-boards, tongues, binder 
canvases and other things." 



154 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 




UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



155 



A Modern Concrete Machine Shed 

rPHE all-concrete machine shed, shown in Figure 134, was designed 
-*- from Mr. Leonard's description and may be changed in size to 
accommodate a larger or smaller number of implements without varying 
but slightly from this general plan. 

The foundations are of concrete with footings 18 inches square. 
These support 8 by 8-inch reinforced concrete columns grooved to hold 
in place the concrete slabs which are cast between them. These columns 
may be cast in a mold similar to that shown in Figure 122, page 140, 
and the slabs may be cast in ordinary wall forms such as are described 
on pages 32 to 35. If desired, the walls may be built of concrete blocks 
without wall columns, although a greater quantity of materials will 
be required if this be done. It is also possible to use columns, filling 
up the panels between them with veneer block, 4 inches thick, or with 
cement plasterwalls. 



r— -< -. 



1 




Figure 135. Entrance to Concrete Root Cellar of Mrs. Gallup, 
Rochester, Wisconsin. 



The roof is of 
beam and slab con- 
struction, and is sup- 
ported entirely on 
the columns. After 
the columns have 
been placed in posi- 
tion, the forms for 
the roof beams and 
slabs are put up, and 
the beams and slabs 
concreted. It will 
be noticed that the 
reinforcing in the 
columns protrudes 
about 8 inches up 
into the roof beams 
for the purpose of 

securely tying the columns and beams together. The reinforcing of 
the interior columns and beams, as well as the expansion joints in the 
slab over each beam, is shown in the section through the girder and 
slab. 

After the walls and roof are constructed, a concrete floor 4 inches 
thick should be laid. For work of this kind a one-course floor is desir- 
able. The floor should be finished off with a wood float and a small 
amount of mortar used if necessary to secure a sufficiently smooth 
surface. The floor should be given a slight pitch toward the front of 
the structure in order to insure good drainage, in case it is desired to 
wash vehicles within the shed. 

Proportions (See page 157). 

Foundations, Footing, Apron and Walls, Specification D. 

Floors, Specification C. 

Columns, Beams and Roof, Specification B. 



156 



SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 



Table of Materials 



Foundations and Footings. 

Apron 

Walls 

Floors 

Columns 

Beams 

Roof Slab 



VOL. 

Cu. Yds 



6.83 

.38 

17.20 

17.30 

7.10 

4.50 

24.40 



MIX- 
TURE 



2^:5 

23^:5 

2^:5 

2^:4 

2:4 

2:4 

2:4 



CEMENT 
Bbls. Sacks 



8.49 

.47 

21.35 

24.05 

10.75 

6.80 
37.00 



34.00 
2.00 
85.40 
96.20 
43.00 
27.00 
148.00 



SAND 

Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



3.15 


71.77 


.18 


4.85 


7.90 


213.00 


8.82 


238. 50 


3.20 


86.50 


2.02 


54.50 


11.00 


297. 00 



STONE 
Cu.Yds. Cu.Ft. 



6.31 170.40 


.35 


9.45 


15.85 


428. 00 


14.20 


383. 00 


6.30 


170. 00 


4.00 


108. 00 


21.80 


578. 00 



Total 98. 91 Bbls.. . 36. 27 Cu.Yds. 68. 81 Cu.Yds. 

Approximate amount of Reinforcing required: 

408 feet, ^-inch round rods Weight 430 Lbs. 

8736 feet ^-inch round rods Weigh t 3300 Lbs. 

Total 3730 Lbs. 

(Add 10 per cent extra steel to allow for waste.) 




Figure 136. Monolithic Root Cellar on the Farm of J. 
S. McMillan, Republic, Missouri. The arched con- 
crete walls of the cellar proper are covered with earth, 
leaving only the entranceway visible. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 157 



APPENDIX 



Specifications for Portland Cement Concrete 

Specification A — 1 :2 :3 

Proportions: 1 sack Portland cement to 2 cubic feet coarse, clean 
sand, to 3 parts screened gravel or crushed stone, varying in size from 
J4 inch to 1 inch. 

Materials required for 1 cubic yard of concrete: 1.74 barrels (7 
sacks) cement, .52 cubic yards (14 cubic feet) sand, .77 cubic yards 
(20 cubic feet) stone. 

Suitable for the walls and floors of tanks and other work requiring 
watertight concrete of great strength; also sills and lintels without 
mortar surface. 

Specification B — 1:2:4 

Proportions: 1 sack Portland cement to 2 cubic feet coarse, clean 
sand, to 4 parts screened gravel or crushed stone varying in size from 
34 inch to 1 inch. 

Materials required for 1 cubic yard of concrete: 1.51 barrels (6 
sacks) cement, .75 cubic yards (21 cubic feet) sand, .89 cubic yards 
(24 cubic feet) stone. 

For roof slabs, beams and columns sustaining great weight. 

Specification G— 1:2^:4 

Proportions : 1 sack Portland cement to 2J^ cubic feet coarse, clean 
sand, to 4 parts screened gravel or crushed stone varying in size from 
}/£ inch to 1 inch. 

Materials required for 1 cubic yard of concrete: 1.39 barrels (5 3^2 
sacks) cement, .51 cubic yards (14 cubic feet) sand, .82 cubic yards 
(22 cubic feet) stone. 

For the body of concrete blocks, sills and lintels which are given 
a mortar surface, walls less than 6 inches in thickness, one-course floors 
and pavements. 

Specification D— 1:2^:5 

Proportions: 1 sack Portland cement to 2J^ cubic feet coarse, 
clean sand, to 5 cubic feet screened gravel or crushed stone varying in 
size from 34 to 1 x /i inches. 

Materials required for 1 cubic yard of concrete: 1.24 barrels (5 
sacks) cement, .46 cubic yards (12.4 cubic feet) sand, .92 cubic yards 
(25 cubic feet) stone. 

For foundations and ordinary walls greater than 6 inches in thickness. 



158 SMALL FARM BUILDINGS OF CONCRETE 

Specification E — 1 :3 :6 

Proportions: 1 sack Portland cement to 3 cubic feet coarse, clean 
sand, to 6 cubic feet screened gravel or crushed stone varying in size 
from 34 to 2 inches. 

Materials required for 1 cubic yard of concrete: 1.06 barrels (4 
sacks) cement, .47 cubic yards (12.7 cubic feet) sand, .94 cubic yards 
(25.4 cubic feet) stone. 

Lean mixture for use only where mass rather than strength is re- 
quired. Suitable for sub-base for tanks and similar work. 



Consistency of Concrete 

Tj^OR the foundations and walls of buildings enough water should be 
■*■ used in the concrete so that it will flow to all parts of the mold with 
a small amount of puddling and spading. For columns, beams, floor 
slabs and roof slabs, the mass should have a quaky consistency such as 
will tend to flatten out of its own weight when piled. The mortar sur- 
faces of floors should be mixed with sufficient water to make it work 
easily, but an excess of water should be avoided. Concrete blocks, sills, 
and lintels should be mixed just as wet as possible with the block machine 
employed. Blocks and sills made of a mixture wet enough to be quaky 
when placed in the mold will be dense and watertight. Blocks made 
with dry materials are porous, lack strength, and present a dead appear- 
ance. It must always be remembered that the bonding quality of 
cement in concrete depends upon a hydraulic action between the cement 
and the water in which each plays an equally important part. The 
lack of sufficient water to complete this action is therefore as detrimental 
as the lack of cement. 



Information Bureau 
Service 

THE UNIVERSAL PORTLAND 
CEMENT CO. maintains an 
Information Bureau for the pur- 
pose of assisting its friends and 
customers in solving the problems 
constantly arising in the use of 
concrete. A corps of trained en- 
gineers answer inquiries and offer 
suggestions for the betterment of 
concrete work. This advice and 
help is free and involves no obli- 
gation whatever. 

In writing the Information 
Bureau, time will be saved if the 
inquiry is made full and explicit. 
Prompt attention will be given every 
request for information. 

Address 

INFORMATION BUREAU 
Universal Portland Cement Co. 

72 West Adams Street Chicago 



NOV 7 1912 




CbEfflNT MILK 

from silage-fed cows is profitable but 
requires a dairy plant of scrupulous neatness. 
UNIVERSAL Portland cement will make 
your stable floor both permanent and sanitary. 
You will find that Universal is the most 
satisfactory" cement for building cooling 
tanks in the milk room and for the silo. 

Do not take a substitute for 

UNIVERSAL 



The name and this seal stand for 
a tested cement °f highest quality, 
which will make your farm im- 
provements a lasting satisfaction. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 





Chicago 
Pittsburgh 
Minneapolis - 



OFFIC ES 

72 West Adams Street 

Frick Building 

Security Bank Building 



Plants at Chicago and Pittsburgh 
Annual Output 48,000,000 Sacks 



. 



Illllllllllli 



SPEAKER HINE9 PRESS 
DETROIT 



UNIVERSAL 

PORTLAND CEMENT 

is known by this seal on every 
sack. Best dealers handle 
Universal. Universal is not 

often the cheapest brand, but those who 
put quality before price buy Universal. 
Those who know the economy of good 
materials buy Universal. 

The services of our Information Bureau 

and our series of instructive books on 

concrete construction are free. 



For free booklets or information 
address the nearest office. 




UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 

OFFICES 
Chicago ... - 72 West Adams Street 
Pittsburgh - - - - Frick Building 

Minneapolis - Security Bank Building 

PLANTS AT CHICAGO AND PITTSBURGH 
ANNUAL OUTPUT 48,000,000 SACKS 



105 93 



